The Miller-Dwan Foundation’s Women Leading Change and the College of St. Scholastica’s Active Minds present The Jordan Burnham Story on Tuesday, November 2, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the College of St. Scholastica’s Mitchell Auditorium.
The following is an excerpt on Jordan that aired on ESPN earlier this week (the 5-minute video can be seen at http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5732813):
‘The chances of surviving a nine-story fall are less than one percent, but Jordan Burnham is alive. He was given a second chance. Three years ago, at 18, he was a star high-school pitcher and golfer, a homecoming hero, and class clown. He seemingly had everything a teenage athlete could ever want. On the evening of September 28, 2007, Burnham jumped out the ninth-floor window of his apartment in suburban Philadelphia. He fell 90 feet at approximately 50 mph. Miraculously, he survived. Jordan Burnham is one of a million American high-school students who attempt suicide each year, according to a federal study. Most of them suffer from mental illness. Jordan Burnham was suffering from depression, but no one ever expected he would do something like this. His body badly broken, and unsure if he would ever be able to walk again, his athletic dreams seemed over.’
Today, at 21, Jordan travels the country talking to teens, young adults, parents, and professionals about his story of depression, recovery, and support. His remarkable journey back provides a rare glimpse into a young boy and his family’s struggle with teen depression.
Jordan will speak on Tuesday, November 2, in the College of St. Scholastica’s Mitchell Auditorium; this event is free and open to the public. A free will donation will benefit the Miller-Dwan Foundation’s Turning Point Campaign and the College of St. Scholastica’s Timothy Martin Miller Fund.
5:30 – Social Hour
6:30 pm – Presentation
About the Turning Point Campaign:
Turning Point is the Miller-Dwan Foundation’s $5 million campaign to build a mental health and wellness center here in Duluth for children, adolescents, and young adults—and their families—who are struggling with mental health issues. We are currently at just over $3.5 million in our fundraising efforts and have $1.5 million to go before we can break ground and start building this new facility.
About Women Leading Change:
Women have the power to drive change, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for us. The Women Leading Change initiative is about gathering women together to wrap their arms around pressing community issues and advocate for positive change. Our first project is to build a bold vision for mental health care that will provide our young people and their families with a warm, home-like place to find the right care, at the right time. Join other ambitious, intelligent and inspiring women in our area to take bold steps and create change.
