After Daughter's Tragedy, Diane Grossman Starts YouTube Show

ROCKAWAY, NJ — She's raised an Army. She's taken on lawmakers and naysayers. Now, after losing her 12-year-old daughter Mallory to bullying and suicide, Dianne Grossman has created a new YouTube show that takes on difficult subject matter designed to spread awareness.

Entitled "The Parent Project" the show plans to boldly discusses topics that are often difficult to talk about, including suicide, depression, and loss.

"This combined with a spirit of hope, kindness, and what we can do for ourselves and one another to make a valid commitment to support others," Grossman said. "Although we can not change the past, we can decide how the future will look."

In the first episode, which premiered on YouTube and on the Mallory's Army Facebook page, Grossman spoke with David Lionheart who heads up Play for Your Freedom. Lionheart lost his brother at a very young age to a suicide pact with a friend and has struggled with this loss and in many ways it has shaped who he is today.

Lionheart started Play for Your Freedom in order to give back to others. Play for Your Freedom is a non-profit who's primary focus is monthly Wellness Workshops conducted to better the lives of local hospitalized veterans. The goal is to give them the time that they fought for and deserve - to unwind, get fit, and share camaraderie with other veterans.

"Having the courage to leave an isolated place and come out to one of our events is a huge milestone," Lionheart said. "Everything after that is positive personal progress."

Lionheart said he recognized the need in the veteran community for support specifically regarding PTSD. Through activity he has helped change the lives of not only veterans, but also their families.

His journey from loss to hope can be seen below.

Latest Move

The show is Grossman's latest move in her advocacy. The Grossmans became anti-bullying advocates in the wake of their daughter's death in 2017, launching the advocacy group Mallory's Army. Dianne Grossman conducts workshops and speeches to share her daughter's story and call for bullying prevention efforts. Mallory's Army was previously honored in the Senate with a resolution recognizing its efforts.

The story of Mallory's decision to take her own life and her family's advocacy was among the factors spurring a long-running Patch national advocacy reporting project examining bullying and cyberbullying from multiple angles. One in three U.S. children is bullied, either in person or online, as Mallory was. Tens of thousands of kids stay home from school every day to avoid their bullies, and children who are bullied can carry the scars into adulthood.

Mallory's parents said she took her life to escape horrific bullying. In a lawsuit against their daughter's school, they said officials failed to prevent bullying by four classmates and that the actions of administrators made Mallory's suffering worse.

According to the lawsuit, a group of four girls bullied Mallory at home via social media, in the classroom and in the lunchroom, actions the family claims directly led to Mallory's suicide death on June 14, 2017. The suit says the school district fell short of a legal obligation to prevent bullying.

Grossman continues to lobby to get Mallory's Law, a bill aimed at toughening New Jersey's anti-bullying laws, passed and signed by the Gov. Phil Murphy.

"I will storm Trenton," Grossman said. "I don't need this law for Mallory's legacy. I have a foundation and I have a big mouth. And I don't care who I piss off."

Read More About Mallory Grossman:

• 6 Of The Most Disturbing Claims In NJ Bullying Death Lawsuit
• 1 Year Later, Mallory Grossman Lives On In Anti-Bullying Efforts
• Mallory Grossman's Mom Shares Painful New Bullying Details
• Bullying Of Mallory Grossman, 12, Detailed In Wrongful Death Suit
• 'Mallory's Army' Fights Back Against Bullying After 12-Year-Old's Sudden Death

In the long-running "Menace of Bullies" series, Patch is looking at society's roles and responsibilities in bullying and a child's unthinkable decision to end their own life, in hopes we might offer solutions that save lives.

Do you have a story to tell? Are you concerned about how your local schools handle bullies and their victims?

Email us at bullies@patch.com and share your views in the comments.

Selected Stories From The Series

• Bullied To Death: When Kids Kill With Words
• America's Shameful Truth About School Shooters And Bullying
• They All Failed Changed Child: Malden Bullying Detailed
• Bullies, Their Targets The Same In A Surprising Number Of Cases
• 'Everyday, I Wear Your Words,' Teen Tells Bullies In Video
• Teen's 'I Wear Your Words' Video Inspires Nashville Songwriters
• Bullying Of Mallory Grossman, 12, Spelled Out In Wrongful Death Lawsuit
• Poetry Teacher Helps Bullied Kids Open Their Tortured Minds
• Why These Kindergartners Start Each Day With A Simple Handshake

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, or text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.