2012 February

PRESS RELEASE

David Fajgenbaum and National Students of AMF Honored with Welcome Back Award: One man turns personal grief into a national network for others

February 27, 2012, Washington, D.C. — David Fajgenbaum will receive a Welcome Back Award for his achievements in the fight against mental illness at the 13th annual Welcome Back Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. These annual awards help promote awareness of depression as a real, common and treatable illness.

Fajgenbaum knows firsthand of the solitary struggle that occurs after the loss of a family member while in college — his mother died from a brain tumor in his transitional college years. He took that grief, however, and created National Students of AMF, a network on 43 college campuses to help others that grieved the illness or death of a loved one. The name, AMF, is a dual acronym for his mom (Anne Marie Fajgenbaum) and Ailing Mothers and Fathers.

“I felt alone, helpless and guilty. I believed no one could possibly understand what I was going through or relate to my pain. I didn’t even share my feelings with my very closest friends,” says Fajgenbaum of his struggles while his mother was dying of terminal brain cancer. National Students of AMF now provides the support of peers and professionals to thousands of students across the country, letting them know that they are not alone.

“Grief can leave people feeling helpless and alone, especially college youth who are transitioning into adulthood. It can even lead to depression. Through founding National Students of AMF, David has made thousands of young adults feel less alone in times of intense pain and helped them cope with their loss. He has sent a strong message of hope, and we salute his achievements,” said Linda Rosenberg, president and CEO of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare.

“After 13 years, the Welcome Back Awards continue to serve as inspiration to people suffering from mental illnesses, as well as to those who help them on the journey to recovery,” Robert Baker, M.D., global development leader for psychiatry and pain disorders at Lilly. “David’s courage has made a difference for countless college students struggling with grief. This award acknowledges all that he has done to improve the lives of others.”

Each year, an independent panel of national mental health leaders recognizes individuals for their outstanding achievements, and Lilly awards donations ranging between $10,000 and $15,000 to the not-for-profit organization of each winner’s choice.  Fajgenbaum and four other Welcome Back Award honorees will be recognized at a special awards ceremony at the University Club, 1135 16th St NW, Washington, D.C., on February 29 at 8:30 a.m.

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About the Welcome Back Awards
Lilly established the Welcome Back Awards in 1998 to fight the stigma associated with depression and to promote the understanding that depression is treatable. Over the past 13 years, Lilly has donated more than $375,000 to charity on behalf of 53 Welcome Back Award winners. The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare is pleased to partner with Lilly to recognize the 2011 honorees. Learn more about the honorees at www.TheNationalCouncil.org.

About the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) association of 1,950 community healthcare organizations that provide treatment and rehabilitation for mental illnesses and addiction disorders to nearly 6 million adults, children and families in communities across the country.

About Eli Lilly and Company
Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation, is developing a growing portfolio of pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations.  Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Lilly provides answers — through medicines and information — for some of the world’s most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com; Lilly’s clinical trial registry is available at www.lillytrials.com.

About National Students of AMF
National Students of AMF is a nonprofit organization that connects and empowers college students grieving the illness or death of a loved one to support one another. The organization accomplishes its mission by creating Students of AMF Campus Chapters on college campuses nationwide, raising awareness about the needs of grieving college students, including through the annual National College Student Grief Awareness Week, and hosting national grief support programs and events, such as the National Conference on College Student Grief. Additional information is available at www.studentsofamf.org

About David Fajgenbaum
David Fajgenbaum is a third year medical student at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is a Twenty-First Century Scholar and will study for an MBA at the Wharton School in 2012-2013. He is the co-Founder and Board Chair of the National Students of AMF Support Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting college students grieving the illness or death of a loved one. Prior to UPenn, David attended Georgetown University for undergrad and Oxford University for a master’s degree (M.Sc. by Research) in Public Health.

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Contact: Mike Weaver at MikeW@thenationalcouncil.org or 202.684.7457, ext. 244; Sonja Popp-Stahly at spopp-stahly@lilly.com or 317.655.2993

February 19, 2012: National Students of AMF is currently searching for highly motivated community leaders to join our Board of Directors. The mission of National Students of AMF [www.studentsofamf.org] is to support college students grieving the illness or death of a loved one. In just six years, we have developed 43 official campus chapters across the country and are working with many more campuses to establish new chapters. Each chapter has a peer-grief support group and a service group that empowers students to take action. In the past two years, we have hired our first full-time executive director and opened up our first office. With our growth, we need strong leadership and community support more than ever.

We would like to expand and strengthen our board and are looking for volunteers with experience in PR/marketing, higher education, fundraising, finance, nonprofit governance, and/or nonprofit management. National Students of AMF is going through a period of tremendous growth and we need a strong board to offer support and ensure that we can continue to provide support to grieving college students across the country. Although financial contribution is expected [in accordance with the board member's ability], more important is a willingness to take an active role in developing the organization through the donation of time, skills, and energy.

Each Board member is expected to serve a 3-year term, attend 4 Board meetings/year, and attend our local Raleigh AMF events. We are seeking members who are connected to the mission, engaged, capable of financial and in-kind donations, and/or with community connections to serve on the Board. We would like to introduce a prospective Board member to our organization through work on one of our committees.

Email info@studentsofamf.org if you are interested in learning more about these awesome opportunities!

Tickets are selling fast for AMF’s 3rd annual Spring Soiree on Friday, April 27 at Flander’s Art Gallery in Raleigh, NC! Join us for a beautiful evening of food (courtesy of Mia Francesca), festivities, auction items, friends, and fellowship in memory of an incredible woman and in support of a life-changing organization. Each year student leaders from one of our chapters attend and share their inspiring stories. This year, Kelly Hudson will represent Central Michigan’s chapter. Click here or go to www.amfsoiree.org for tickets and more info!

Check out http://www.amfsoiree.org and/or http://www.facebook.com/AMFsoiree for more info!