On July 8, 2017, sophomore Plum Rousseau’s life was changed forever. Plum’s mother, Yolanda Leann Rousseau, passed away from long term chronic alcoholism and high stress levels. Rousseau’s dad, Marc, was the first to find her mother. After finding her, he then called Plum into the room to help with the situation.

“Initially, all I felt was shock,” Plum said. “It didn’t feel real, like she couldn’t be gone.”

Though it was a difficult time, Plum did take good out of it. Yolanda had been suffering with chronic alcoholism for awhile, and the idea of going around to talk to other schools about dealing with alcoholic parents had been in Plum’s head since FHN held the Stop Heroin assembly her freshman year. This event just pushed the idea back into the front of her mind.

“Talking to other schools would help other students know that there are students in every school that go through way more at home than it seems,” Plum’s close friend Ben Harris said. “She could also teach them how to deal with a parent that is an alcoholic.”

The process of Plum starting to talk at other schools is under way, as she is working with FHN principal Dr. Katie Greer and her counselor to make it happen. While Plum is planning on talking about her mother’s chronic alcoholism, she also plans to discourage drinking and the use of drugs in teens.

“The more you talk about it, the more of a grip you will get on what it had done for you and to you,” Marc said. “I think it will be a good experience.”

To Plum, everything still seems surreal. By talking to other kids, she not only hopes to do some good, but she also hopes to help herself grieve in the process. Plum hopes that in doing good for other people, she will cope better with the loss of her mother.

“If I can change one person’s life, then I can save lives, too,” Plum said.