0.98 seconds.
That's how long it took
to change everything.

Keith Parsons grew up in a caring family in Pennsylvania — adventurous, mischievous, and close to his parents. But like many kids, adolescence changed things. Communication with his parents became harder. Conversations about drugs and alcohol never really happened.

Without ever consciously deciding to, Keith started making choices that would alter the course of his life. A drink in eighth grade. Marijuana in ninth. By his senior year, his circle had narrowed, soccer was gone, and the door to other possibilities was quietly closing.

Then came one night that nearly cost him his life. His parents got the call every parent dreads. Keith survived — but with severe injuries, and consequences that would follow him for the rest of his life.

Despite this, not all of his choices were bad. Most of the time he got along with his parents. He maintained his academic performance and was the first student in his class to be accepted to college. Unfortunately, one of his choices — the worst one he ever made — eclipsed all the others. His mom and dad got a late night phone call that any parent would dread. Keith was in the hospital in critical condition with severe back and neck injuries after drinking, smoking marijuana, and experimenting with LSD for the first and only time.

The recovery was long and the consequences permanent. But somewhere in that process, something shifted. Keith didn't want what happened to him to just be a cautionary tale — he wanted it to mean something. So while pursuing his bachelor's degree at Penn State, he began speaking about substance abuse prevention at the middle school he once attended. The response was immediate, and he never really stopped.

He graduated from Penn State with a BS in Management Science and Information Systems, then briefly worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue before starting his own business. He moved to Pittsburgh a few years later to be with his soon-to-be fiancée. Neither the business nor the engagement lasted, and he returned to his hometown in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Starting over, Keith went back to Penn State — this time pursuing a master's degree in Education with a focus in Earth and Space Sciences, along with his teacher certification. During student teaching, he shared his story at the middle school he once attended. Teachers passed him to other teachers. By the time his placement ended he had spoken with nearly every student in the building and was nominated for an Outstanding Student Teacher award by his peers, his professor, and a colleague.

Then came the worst night of his post-graduation life. His sister's boyfriend David left a celebration to go for a ride on his motorcycle and never came back — killed instantly in a head-on collision. Keith knew what it felt like to cause others to hurt and worry. Now, for the first time, he understood what it felt like to suddenly and unexpectedly lose someone you love.

After David's death, Keith made a decision: he would share his story with as many people as possible, for as long as he could, so that others might avoid a similar loss — and spare their families from suffering the same.