After the hazing allegations against Delta Chi fraternity shed a negative light on greek life at IU, it is easy to notice the negative aspects of greek experience. However, Max Shores, a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, says that his fraternity saved his life.

Max was studying at the library on December 7th, 2018 when he felt a terrible headache come on. Shores went back to SAE to rest and watch Netflix and eventually, the pain became unbearable. Shores got up from his bed to get some aspirin and chocolate milk and immediately felt weak on the left side of his body.

“So like I was trying to get out of bed and I had no idea why my left arm and my left leg were really weak and then I just fell,” Shores said.

 

Shores knew that this was not an ordinary headache.

“I tried to get over to the futon and I like tripped and fell on it and he was like, “Max are you okay?” And I was like, “dude there’s something not right,” Shores said.

Shores’ roommate texted the president of the fraternity and Shores’ best friend, Brett Wainscott. Wainscott drove Shores to the hospital.

“They came and told me and his cousin that they were airlifting him to Indianapolis, and thats when I was like, okay this is serious, that was like the point where I was like okay, he, could die,” Wainscott said.

Shores was airlifted to a hospital in Indianapolis. After multiple surgeries, the doctors told Max that he suffered from a brain bleed. The bleed was caused by a rupture of his brain AVM.

A brain AVM is an abnormal tangle of blood vessels in the brain.

 

 

The brain bleed left Shores temporarily paralyzed on the left side of his body. However, Shores says that the bleed did not affect him cognitively. Shores is staying at home for the semester to focus on getting better. Shores says that he can’t wait to get back to IU to resume all of his activities, even studying for exams.

SAE is dedicating their philanthropy to Shores and his family to help offset the cost of medical bills. So far. the fraternity has raised over $30,000 using GoFundMe.

Max is very grateful to have a great support system.

“Before this all happened like I loved those guys more than anything and I’d do anything for them but like now that this happened seeing that those feelings are returned and they feel the same about me it’s just been huge for me,” Shores said.

Shores is set to make a full recovery and will return to IU in the fall.