Julia is giving her son something she never had—a parent who is hardworking, sober and present. Julia’s struggle with addiction began at age 15 when her father introduced her to meth. By the time she was 19, she was getting high with unfamiliar people in uncomfortable situations, mostly with her dad and his friends.

Julia hit rock bottom in Chillicothe, Missouri, when her boyfriend died, and she was arrested on charges of manslaughter. She spent a year in county jail fighting the charges, but the guilt of his death weighed heavily on her.

Shortly after her release, Julia came across Healing House, which offered an escape from her destructive family life. She was accepted into Purple House, but she struggled to follow the rules and was asked to leave in 2017.

She soon fell into an abusive relationship and began using again, sleeping in hotels or her car. Eventually, she went back to prison, where she realized she needed the structure and support offered by Healing House. She contacted Mama Judi and returned to Purple House in 2018.

Things were good for two years. But in 2020, she became pregnant and left Healing House to move in with the baby’s father. After her son was born, she relapsed into addiction. She lost custody after a near fatal overdose.

Julia returned to Healing House a third time, this time determined to beat her addiction for herself and for her son. She applied the lessons she’d learned in the past, secured her own apartment and embraced independent living.

Today, Julia is driven by her desire to be a responsible parent to her son, Wesley. She loves spending time with him—a connection she never dreamed possible while battling addiction.
“You can’t run from drugs,” Julia explains. “They are everywhere. But at Healing House, they give you the tools to succeed.”