Meet Lisa Doussan | President/Co-Founder of the Brett Thomas Doussan Foundation

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Doussan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
The Brett Thomas Doussan Foundation was founded in 2014. Our mission is to advance mental health awareness through advocacy, education and music.

There is an abundance of words to describe Brett Thomas Doussan, but loving and lovable are the two that encompass his character best. Brett had a lot of love to share. He loved his music, his city, and especially his family and very large circle of friends. He was always smiling and ready to offer a word of encouragement. He was truly the life of the party who never met a stranger. He had an advanced degree, a good job and promising future. Yet, he was suffering, and none of us were aware of this.

In February 2014 we lost Brett to suicide. He was 26 years old.

At the funeral service, one of Brett’s friends gave me a note with a Chris Risati quotation scribbled on it that read, “If you don’t impact someone, then this is a waste.” Those words stayed in the back of my mind as I was going through the grief of losing my son to suicide, a suicide for which there are no answers. I could not bear the thought of his wonderful life being a waste.

As the months passed after his suicide, I spoke with my family and friends as well as several of Brett’s close friends. I wanted us to do something to keep Brett’s legacy alive. I needed a positive impact to stem from this horrible tragedy. A small group of us got together and formed the Brett Thomas Doussan Foundation with the intent of providing support for those who are affected by mental illness.

We look forward to extending our outreach to help raise awareness of mental illness resources and invite you to join us. Together we can make a difference.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
We are a grassroots organization that has just a few board members made up of all volunteers. We hold several fundraisers throughout the year to raise money for our beneficiaries: NAMI, New Orleans, AFSP, NOMAF, Loyola Music Therapy Scholarship, Loyola Counseling Center, Children’s Hospital Behavioral Health Center as well as LSU’s Behavioral Health Center.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
New Orleans is a very colorful city with many wonderful restaurants, museums, musical venues, parks, and zoos. There is a variety of beautiful architectural design throughout the French Quarter, Garden District, and other areas of the city. You can ride from Uptown to Downtown to Mid-City on the streetcar, making stops along the way to visit historical sites and enjoy refreshments.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Brett was a friend to everyone. These friends, both old and new, were my lifeline to Brett after he left us. They would invite us places, spend time with us telling us their memories of Brett, and come to family dinners. As we shared memories, we celebrated Brett and his love of life.

We need to thank NAMI, New Orleans, AFSP and The New Orleans Musicians’ Assistance Foundation, who offered us invaluable assistance in starting our foundation.

Website: www.btdfoundation.org

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Image Credits
Judy Nides