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MindSet 2022: Nolan Burch: Why Did He Die From Hazing? What Parents & Students Should Know
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Meet TJ and Kim Burch - two loving parents who saw their son, Nolan go off to West Virginia University from Western New York beaming with pride, enthusiasm, and hope. Like many incoming freshmen, Nolan wanted to get involved and make new friends, so he thought about joining a fraternity. He checked a few out and gravitated to one where he was assigned a "brother" to show him around and to meet the other guys. The role of the "brother" is to look out for you, as Nolan believed would be the case. Then came Pledge Week - a week filled with heavy drinking, humiliation, control by older members, embarrassing activities, blindfolding, and a total disregard for safety and well-being. The drinking was extraordinarily excessive and Nolan was forced to participate as part of the membership ritual. Once he reached a point of unconsciousness, his "brothers" carried him to a room and left him despite signs of troubled breathing, an inability to wake up, and evidence that he had soiled himself. One "brother" kicked him in the ribs and walked away - all captured on the fraternity's security cameras. Nolan was alone for quite some time. Eventually, someone called 911 when Nolan was totally unresponsive. Emergency Room physicians stated that if someone had gotten Nolan to the ER about an hour sooner - he would have been saved. Nolan died and it was preventable.
Kim and TJ have dedicated their lives to saving others through blunt, candid, and very real conversations with high school and college students and their parents. This podcast is about their story, needed change regarding fraternities and sororities, responsibility, and accountability for others. It's actually a message of love and kindness to others. Please watch their YouTube video titled, "Breathe, Nolan, Breathe". The Burch family started a Foundation immediately after Nolan's death. Please contact the Foundation to book a speaking engagement at your school or organization: http://www.nmbfoundation.com/
Thank you.
Tom McNulty, M.S.
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