Friends,

We never set out to start a foundation. We are just a family from Mississippi, nearly undone by addiction and mental health struggles. We lost our son William to an overdose. We almost lost another one, too. For a long time, I felt broken beyond repair.

But through the gift of second chances, our family found a way to heal. Through faith, counseling, community, and honesty, we discovered joy again. And along the way, we began to see how many other families were carrying the same weight—often alone, often without resources or hope.

That’s why we started the Magee Foundation. Our mission is simple: to break stigma, tell the truth about addiction and mental health, and point people toward hope and help. We use storytelling, education, and community engagement to open eyes, connect people to resources, and spark change. From students on campuses to parents at home, from churches to neighborhoods across the country, we are working so that no family has to feel as lost as we once did.

Our work is deeply personal.

It’s not abstract policy—it’s lived experience. We know what it feels like to lose, and we know the miracle of finding life again. Every speech, every workshop, every program we build is about helping others claim that same miracle.

Together, we can turn brokenness into healing, silence into conversation, and despair into second chances.


With gratitude,

David Magee