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A Call to "Help my Friends" Judy Garber will never forget February 28, 1998. Her son Dustin, a freshman at
Florida State University, was home for the weekend and headed to the beach with
his friend Paul Evans. On the way, their car collided with a truck and both
Dustin and Paul were killed. They were only 19.
As she said goodbye to Dustin that afternoon at the hospital, Judy heard
Dustin's voice asking her to help his friends through this terrible tragedy.
She made that promise to him, not knowing what a commitment she had made.
Arriving home that afternoon, she found 100 of Dustin's classmates and friends
gathered in the yard. Throughout the next few weeks, Judy's house became the
gathering point as the teens dealt with their grief.
Judy's experience made her realize that there was not a system in place to help
young people deal with the tragic loss of a loved one. As a result and to honor
her son's memory, Judy and her husband Lynn Jennings have started the Dustin
Project to reach all kids who need help coping with the loss of someone they
love.
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