About this episode:

Juliana Barton, a foster care alumna with big dreams, has never wanted pity, she's only ever wanted to be seen for her talents, abilities and wholeness. In the face of childhood abuse, epic systemic injustice and heart-wrenching family tragedy, she epitomizes strength, resilience, grit and grace. Juliana's unbroken spirit echoes in her words, her commitments and her advocacy, and it will astound you.

About our guest:

Where to find Juliana Barton online:

• LinkedIn

Other Resources Mentioned:

• Higher Education for Foster Youth
• MCAT
• How Should Medical Schools Foster Equity and Inclusion in Admissions
• Addressing Bias in Medical School Admissions
• Lived Experience
• Child Abuse Reports During Pandemic   
• fosteractionohio.org
• National Foster Care Advocacy Organizations
• OH Youth Ombudsman Office
• OH Youth Advisory Board

Additional Resources:

• TCOM
• The Praed Foundation
• IPH Center

Become a Supporter:

If you like what you hear, please consider making a donation on our Patreon site!

Credits:

• All content Copyright ActuallyQuiteNice, Inc & TCOM Studios, 2022-2024
• Cover art by @jacksonfall
• Music by Ray Wyssman, The Simoleons, and Kristen Cerelli

Kristen Cerelli 0:00

The interviews in this podcast all of which are ultimately uplifting stories of human transformation may contain general discussions of depression, trauma, violence, abuse or cultural and racial bias. On this episode of shift shift bloom,

Juliana Barton 0:16

what was happening was that the oxygen was being cut off from her brain. And in one last effort, she she drove herself to the hospital. And she never made it inside though she, she lost consciousness and she fell into a coma.

Kristen Cerelli 0:42

Today, part two of my interview with Juliana Barton, a foster care alumna from Ohio who tells us how even in adulthood she continues to struggle against systems in which the deck always seems to be stacked against her. I'm Kristen Cerelli, and you're listening to shift shift bloom, a podcast about how people change. Today, I'm back with the second part of my interview with Juliana Barton, a foster care alumna who grew up experiencing firsthand the flaws in the very broken system of Child Protective Services. She finally entered foster care at the age of 17, but was emancipated shortly after her 18th birthday. out on her own for the first time and with almost no support, Juliana began to navigate the unknown. It was an easy win a series of medical misdiagnosis affecting her sister brought her to Los Angeles, Juliana once again confronted glaring institutional inadequacies, this time in California's public health system. It turns out the mass growing and Juliana sisters throat was thyroid cancer, which required a total thyroidectomy the removal of the fibroid gland, not particularly unusual. But what was unusual was this. Giuliana sister relied on medical California's Medicaid program, meaning she was not at the top of anyone's list. Instead, she was in a holding pattern awaiting a radioactive iodine treatment that required her to be off her thyroid medication temporarily. But one delay became many delays. And no one seemed to notice that she was never put back on her thyroid hormone replacement medication. This one on dangerously long. By the way, the thyroid is a big deal. And if you don't have one, and you don't take your medication, you can die within a few weeks. Juliana sister was getting worse and worse. But they didn't know why.

Juliana Barton 3:03

I had no idea at the time, what happens to you when you don't have your thyroid? You know, the medication. And I was working really hard to support the both of us. And I don't think that I was paying attention as well as what I could have. And of course, again, I still had, you know, my not so great behaviors. And so I kind of missed the signs. But she was experiencing, like syncopal episodes. What are those syncopal episode is is where I guess you're you're basically losing consciousness, you're passing out you're fainting. And I don't know if she would have even told me this part I didn't learn until after but she she was experiencing hallucinations and whatnot. And so she I had no idea any of this was going on. And I think she was probably really confused by it as well, because she didn't tell me. But what she did do was go to the ER 23 times during this time period to to say hey, I think there's something wrong with me. You know, I think there's something going on. And instead what ended up happening is that she was she was seen as a, I guess, seen as an individual with drug seeking behaviors, seen as individual with mental health problems. She was told, literally as I was looking through the papers, because she kept them. It said, like stress induced syncope, meaning you know, her episodes of losing consciousness were related to stress apparently, which ended up truly not being the case. What was happening was that the oxygen was being cut off from her brain And in one last effort, she, she drove herself to the hospital. Despite all this stuff happening, you know, she still knows something is not right. She drove herself to the hospital. And she never made it inside though she, she lost consciousness. Like, I don't know how many yards away from the hospital. But she lost consciousness and she fell into a coma. And I had no idea any of that was going on. She was in a coma for a week, before they finally contacted me. They had no idea who she was because she didn't have any identification on her. And when they finally contacted me, I was just I can't even describe. It was unbelievable.

Kristen Cerelli 5:55

How did they get to you? How did they figure out who she was and find you? It's actually

Juliana Barton 5:59

a pretty crazy story. So how they ended up fine identifying her is. So obviously I said she had driven herself there on her car keys. She had a Kroger, or I'm not sure what they call it out there. But it's the equivalent of Kroger. She had like that reward card on there. And they ended up contacting them and learned who she was through that. Isn't that wild? Wow. Which is I think that's fantastic that they were able to figure that out.

Kristen Cerelli 6:33

A grocery store. Yeah. Yeah, thank God, they gave the information because you never know when somebody is going to put up a wall. Absolutely. To sharing information. So you they finally get to you?

Juliana Barton 6:45

Yes. So they finally got to me. And I really didn't even understand what was going on at the time, because it was just so shocking to me. And so they they start to ask me like, oh, what does she like in everyday life? Like, what's her baseline? And I was like, you know, she, she's just like your I like, she self sufficient, you know, whatever. So what had happened was she was nonverbal and non ambulatory like, they thought she was a homeless person. And that literally was her baseline, and they were going to discharge her because they did not know. So if I am so grateful that I did receive that call, because I'm not sure what really would have happened. But I ended up flying out there. And staying with her. And I thought, honestly, at first, I guess I didn't even want to believe it. I thought maybe she I in this is a crazy thought to have. But I thought maybe she was not talking to anybody because she was shy. She was a really shy and quiet person. And I thought that if she heard my voice, that she would be, she would be okay. And so I got there. And it was it was just a real shock to me, she, she was just not responsive, kind of in this vegetative state. And it was it was really challenging. To see her like that, and to not know what was going to happen. And though she was, she was out of the ICU by that time, like there were still periods of time in which she would her

episodes where she was not stable. And just watching that happen. Never knowing like, if I would walk away, I was terrified that she was going to die. Especially because this this coma that she had went into has a very high mortality rate. Very rare. So it was it was very scary to me and I it's a little dramatic to say now, but I literally thought that I was dying to because I didn't think I could manage this. I I have never in my life wished more than at that moment that I had parents to tell me, You know what to do in this situation like, I had no idea what to do. And so I just tried to be there and try to help in whatever way I could. And throughout the course of several weeks, you know she she would have little improvements where she would open her eyes. But it was at that point that I realized she wasn't the same person. I later learned that she had brain damage from a lack of oxygen that has permanent It impacted her. And she she couldn't speak. At first, it was just a bunch of gibberish. And it was it she would also try to write, but it was nothing that anybody could make sense of. And it was really hard to watch how frustrating that was for her, I think that she thought she was making sense. And I think it was just a really confusing situation for her. And there were point, there were points at which they had to restrain her. I mean, it's funny to look back at now. But it wasn't funny at the time, there were certain points, when in which she started to be able to walk again, that she would just take off down the hall. And like, her gown would come open and she was naked. I mean, it's now but, but at the time, it was, it was a lot to handle. Yeah, I guess just like this new version of who my sister was. And I think for a long time, I was in denial. And it was really hard for me to accept like, this is my sister now. But throughout all that, after a few weeks of being in the hospital, the the physicians told me that, unfortunately, it looked like she was not going to improve, like cognitively. And so they made plans to discharge her to an Alzheimer's home, which I had no idea even existed. And at that moment, I feel like I had a really big decision to make. And one of the social workers who was on her case had said to me, too, so I can't take complete credit for just sitting here and doing this, but one of the social workers prompted me into the decision that I did end up making by saying to me, you know, if the state of California takes custody of her, it will be really hard, if not impossible for you to ever be able to get your sister. So knowing that, like hearing that, I had this really big decision to make, and I, I guess you could say, advocated, although I was doing that the entire time I was in the hospital, I advocated for them to discharge her to my care. And I packed up her entire apartment. And I drove and brought her back to Ohio with me, and then, you know, I took over her care. And it was really then that, as I was stumbling, trying to learn how to do this, while also managing, like, these bad behaviors that I was having, I will, you know, I really had this realization that I couldn't, they couldn't coexist, I couldn't give her the best care, the care that I knew that she deserved, if I was this version of myself. And so that was really the the big event that changed my life changed the course of my life.

Two things, I mean, so many things stand out in what you just said. But two things really hit me right now. One, your realization that two things were mutually exclusive, and could not coexist. And that you must make the choice you make the choice, you exercise, your power to choose which one stays and which one goes. And also, and I cannot believe this didn't hit me before, because you told me a much, much shorter version of your story with much fewer details. But it's astounding to me that you have done for your sister, what no one was able to do for you, which is to take her in to provide for her to give her care. Does that feel to you like you're rewriting history? Like an opportunity to rewrite history on behalf of the two of you?

Absolutely. I think that when I say I envisioned a better life for myself. Part of that better life included, wanting to see my sister and my mom and my other family members, even my dad have a better life to like there was a lot of pain. Just seeing how, how each of us were hurting in our own separate ways. And I think I've always had this I don't know if you want to call it personality, of taking care of others. So sitting there and taking that on, I do think I'm not sure what would have happened if if this didn't happen with my sister. And I'm not saying that I, by any mean have wanted it to happen, but I don't know if we would have even had this opportunity to have a second chance at repairing this relationship. And I guess, defining what our lives mean,

do you pause ever to give yourself credit for all that you take on? I think

I, there, of course, have been moments when I have sat there and, and reflected on everything that has happened. But I think there's also a part of me that looks at it from the perspective of for a large portion of my life, I felt like I was told who I would be or who I had to be, you know, so I was struggling with that, and then also with who I wanted to be, but then there's this third part two, which is what my responsibilities actually dictate who I become. This though, I think it happens to work out, because I have a passion for caring for others. And being a caregiver for my sister, has just been another one of those experiences that I feel has given me an insight into valuable information for what it means to care for others, to advocate for others. And vulnerable populations, you know, people who don't have a voice for themselves.

Yeah, you list your self, on LinkedIn, and in other places as an aspiring physician. And so like, what does that mean?

Well, one, I'm not one. I mean, I can't call myself one aspiring because yes, I mean, that's ultimately my goal, my career goal, my professional goal is to become a physician. So I, though it has taken me longer than most, I've had this very non traditional, very nonlinear path to, to getting here. That is ultimately where I see myself. And I think, this journey that I've been on, and the length of time that it has taken me to get here. I think that some people might view it as maybe negative, but at the same time, the fact that all these things have happened, all these challenges, all these barriers, and I still want to do it. And I'm not letting that stop me. I think that's a true testament to how passionate I am about becoming a physician.

Yeah, tell me why it's medicine and not something like social work or some other form of giving care what what is it to you, that draws you specifically to the to the medical field?

There are a couple things I would say, you know, when I had talked about learning the science behind how, what I was experiencing what I was feeling, learning, the science behind that was very interesting to me. I think another aspect is the autonomy, I want to have the ability to, to make these decisions, for my patients to advocate for them. I guess, that autonomy, I view it as something that also allows me to grow in that position. I've been asked a lot like why not nursing. And I feel like there's only a certain point that you can go in that. And by becoming a physician, I think there are a lot more opportunities where I can use this knowledge that I have for improving conditions. For people like myself, who come from backgrounds like myself, and I still honestly, if any of you exist out there, I would love to know, but I have never seen a female physician who is a former foster youth. So I don't see anybody who serves as a role model for people like myself who want to want to become a physician and have experienced, you know, the things that I have

you also from multiple perspectives now, between your experience and also your experience, advocating for your sister and seeing what she's gone through. You have such a deep bench of knowledge about systems. And I would imagine a lot of people who go into the medical field don't have that They don't think about it. They're thinking about wanting to help others wanting to save lives, impact lives, change lives, do good. They're want, they're thinking about maybe the money becoming a plastic surgeon or something. But they're not necessarily thinking about the entire twisted nut that is our medical system in this country and our child care system in this country or child protective care in this country. And I would imagine that is going to be an enormous advantage to you.

Yeah, I think that physicians, I think they want to do good. I think there's a disconnect, though, between what what does happen in these systems like these state systems and whatnot, through no fault of their own, or anything like that, I think there's some challenges with communication, and transparency. And I, I guess, from what I've learned, and whatnot, privacy, you know, like they, these state agencies want to protect the privacy of the people that they serve, but at the same time, it comes at the cost of, of not being able to provide, like this holistic picture for physicians. And I think there's a lot of challenges that happen in the background, that they're just not familiar with, and again, through no fault of their own, I think that it's a lot to also try to wrap your head around, especially if you've not been in the system or haven't had experience with the system, you you can see some of some of those challenges. But having experienced it, I think gives a whole different, unique perspective. And I think that is what is so valuable. And what I want to add to that role,

I want to know what you feel like, you need number one, and also what you feel like you need to do to get from where you are, which is you've graduated college now. Which is, it's such a huge achievement for many people. And in the face of all of the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that you have faced since you came onto the earth. It's just an even more incredible achievement. But how do you get from where you are now to where you want to be?

So just going back to what I said about there not being a role model, it's hard because I really don't, I'm kind of laying the path down as I'm going it because there isn't one that has been laid before me. And so there are a lot of challenges that I and mistakes that I've made along the way. And I'm not sure if you know this, too, I think thank you also for saying about college. Because the number of emancipated youth who graduate from college is it's actually in the single digits. So it's a very small amount. And I'm really grateful for being able to accomplish that. Again, though it took longer. I think there were many things that I learned throughout that process. where I'm at now, I think there are some challenges. Obviously, with my academic history, I think some of the challenges that I am experiencing, are related to things that I can't necessarily change. And what I mean because I was enrolled intermittently in college, that's not actually something typical, I guess. Not, I guess it's not something that's typical. And that is not viewed positively. At the same time, though, I had this like, this desire and motivation to become a physician to become more educated. I had these aspirations. I was simultaneously battling these challenges in which were affecting my performance in school. So I have some areas in my academic history that are weaknesses, or viewed as weaknesses, and I can't change those. I think the challenge therein lies in getting people to understand how, though not typical that those situations have provided me with additional insight that would be useful towards the role of a physician. I think another another challenge is that I've, I've attended community college, I've received some feedback from colleges, that it's also something that is viewed negatively. So those are some of the things that I can't change. And I actually applied last year. And in the last medical school cycle, and I was not accepted. I didn't, I took the MCAT. And I didn't receive a score that I am proud of. I definitely think that I could have done better. And I took this exam, which is the Medical College Admissions Test. And I didn't perform very well, and it's kind of like a one and done. You do have another opportunity. But with timing, there wasn't. There wasn't an opportunity where I would be able to retest before that, but I was very eager to apply. Because, you know, I was I was very excited that I had reached this point. And so I applied despite the fact and I was not accepted.

Of course she didn't get in. Even the American Medical Association acknowledges that medical school admissions, the education of clinicians during medical school and patient care itself are all inherently inequitable. In an AMA Journal of ethics article, the author state, meritocracy, in its current form excludes the skill sets of many. This is exactly what Juliana describes med schools, prize grades and standardized test results which have a heavy bias in favor of students with social power translation, higher socio economic status kids who have had every advantage. In fact, according to academic medicine, a Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, more than 48% of medical students come from the top income quintile, why less than 6% come from the bottom? Where do you think Juliana falls on that spectrum? Juliana told me she's going to retake the MCAT and apply to medical school again. And I asked her how she's feeling about her prospects.

I think though, I will still have challenges in having others see value in me, one of the things that I had done, and maybe it was not the right thing to do, but because I knew that there were going to be challenges. I had reached out to each school I was applying to just trying to plead my case for why I believe that they should give me a chance. Ultimately, that didn't end up working. But I think there is a challenge in that in trying to have the schools to not see me as a risk. Because I do know that disruptions and enrollment do show like a risky pattern of behavior. But when you take into consideration the the barriers and challenges that I have overcome, I'm just hopeful that somebody will give me a chance. That's I guess that's really what I need right now, for somebody really to see that I am more than what school records or a piece of paper shows me to be I'm more than, than these mistakes, these disruptions and that I have something I have really valuable insight that I can offer as a physician.

Here's the good news. The authors of that ama articles support a more holistic admissions process and offer that one way to motivate equity and admissions is to frame structural competency as a source of merit in a candidate. Simply put, they suggest med schools start to value an applicant's ability to understand how social cultural and political structures confer advantage to some and disadvantage to others. Beyond that, these med schools need to weigh in applicants facility with collaboration, conscientious approaches to problem solving and grit as much if not more than the MCAT scores. Lastly, it is time for schools to see an applicant's lived experience skills and Advocacy Service and mentorship as strengths, not weaknesses. I hope somebody who listens to this I hope somebody who's out there listening to this hears this whole interview and realizes the absolute gift incredible intelligence and wisdom and passion that you would bring To this pursuit, and I hope somebody hears it and chooses to mentor you figures out a way to help you figures out a way to fund you figures out a way to knock on every door that they have access to, and helps you get in because you so grossly deserve to be aided and abetted in this endeavor.

Thank you, I hope someone does, too.

Let's just talk a little bit about your, your advocacy, and what you want to use your voice for on this episode for the next few minutes to talk about that domain in your life and the work that you're doing and, and what it means to you.

Yeah, so I guess, for the longest time, you know, when I was previously talking about, like the stigma that's attached to being in foster care, or being a foster child, and especially the one that's attached to those who like emancipate from the system, I had not spent time around anybody like me. And actually, I thought that my situation was unique. And I thought that I had fallen through the gaps, and that I knew, I knew others were experiencing challenges. And they weren't necessarily having great experiences with the foster care system. But I naively thought that this experience of me transitioning out of care, or actually, I don't even want to call it a transition because there wasn't a transition, this abrupt departure from care, in which I was cut off from support and had to learn to navigate adulthood on my own, I had no idea that this was actually something like really common with others who were emancipating from the system. So because of the shame that I had felt, with being from the foster care system, and just my situation, and in general, because I was meant to feel like, you know, these challenges that I had gone through, were brought on by myself or whatever, you know, like I had caused this to happen to myself. So there, there weren't any support groups or anything like that it was an identity that I did not embrace, it was identity that I hid from others. Although there were instances, of course, where it was really challenging, especially around the holidays, when people are going with their families and talking about what they're doing with their families. That was a little bit more of a challenge to hide from people. But just in general, I just didn't talk about it. So after it was actually after the incident with my sister, again, like I said, it was a huge turning point for me, in more ways than one. I can only imagine what it would have been like to not have somebody like myself, there advocating for her, in trying to speak up for her when she was experiencing, you know, the things that she she was while she was hospitalized and just how her care was managed and whatnot. So after she became more stable, I became involved with a community organization in Ohio, that was interested in my insight for a project that they were going to do that would serve essentially, foster youth who were emancipating in the area. And through them, I was introduced to the foster care community. And that was just a huge, I don't even know how to describe it. It was it was also a life changing event for me. Because suddenly I was with these other people I for a long time I struggled. Because I didn't feel like I belonged anywhere.

If you tomorrow, could go in to the legislature and change one thing or adopt some new thing, what would your first agenda point be like? What would be the number one,

it's actually something that I've been advocating for since the beginning of when my advocacy began. And that is for the establishment of a youth ombudsman. I actually recently wrote a community sign on letter that is addressed to the Ohio Senate. And from that a double digit coalition has been created has been established of support for this youth ombudsman office. And essentially, what a youth ombudsman is, it would be an alternative mechanism, where youth who are experiencing abuse or neglect can report their concerns if the current mechanism is failing them. So in my situation, why it's so personal to me is because like I had said, I I reached out, others had reached out on my behalf. And there were there was no intervention. And I had nobody called the day that I left care. But I ultimately ended up calling child services because there there was just nobody had there been this dedicated person or office to call. I think my my situation, I wouldn't have had to endure this prolonged abuse and neglect for such a long period of time. So there's a lot of challenges. One of the biggest ones right now is is trying to have state officials understand why it would need to be separate from serving, you know, foster parents or biological parents or anybody else really. There are a lot of platforms where adults can voice their concerns, but there are no dedicated platforms for where youth can voice their concerns. There's also conflict of interest. As in if this ombudsman office were to serve both youth and their caregiver. How do you how do you remain impartial? How do you Make sure that you're still serving the best interest of the child. Because we've seen, we've seen that fail, I mean that that's how Child Protective Services is structured right now, and it's not working. This issue is even more pressing, considering the data that has even come out while we've been all living through COVID. And also for the data that we don't even have that for the data that we can't even collect. I know that there's increased reports of children having to come to the ER, for really severe abuse. And so it begs the question, what else is going on that we're missing, because these children aren't being seen by the people who typically would report it in the first place, so you know, their teachers and whatnot. So I would love to see a youth ombudsman office established

Is there anywhere people can go to get more information about that, if especially if, like me, I don't live in the state of Ohio. But to support your efforts,

the organization that I serve as the governmental liaison for is called foster action Ohio. There's two organizations that are part of that one is called the Ohio Youth Advisory Board. And then there's foster action, Ohio. And these are the statewide voices of foster youth and alumni. So the Ohio yabb is our younger population. And once you become too old, to be a part of that, you can join the older alumna, like myself, in Akron, Ohio. So I believe that that website is foster action ohio.org Sure. We'll put it in the show. Yeah. And from there, you can see our advocacy efforts. And somewhere within that website there, it will link to this sign on letter, or you can contact somebody through there, if you're interested in helping us move this along.

Great. What's something that makes you happy?

My dogs? How many do you have? I have two? Yep, I have two dogs. They're both rescues. I just love to watch all of their strange behavior.

I'm with you. I have one rescue, and I love her. I have a little rapid fire questionnaire for you. So we'll try it. We'll try to just go through them really quickly. Don't think too hard. Just first thing that comes off the top of your head? Oh, gosh. A first one is a fill in the blank change requires blank.

Change requires open mindedness.

If you could go back in time, and change one thing, and only one thing about your past, what would it be?

You know, I think if you would have asked me this, I know you said rapidfire. But I'm not gonna do that. Because this is a really complex answer. If you would have asked me that. In the past, I think that I would have told you a lot of things, I could have brought up a lot of things. But as I've gotten older, I've realized that I wouldn't change anything. I don't know, if I would be the person that I have become if I hadn't experienced all those things. And I like the person that I am. I like the values and the morals and the passion that I have the things that I stand for. So I wouldn't change anything.

That answer makes me so happy. It really does.

Thank you.

Not that my happiness is important in this questionnaire. What is one thing big or small? You would like to see change in the world?

I would really like to see, I guess kindness and empathy. I think there's just this mentality of people not wanting to help one another anymore. And I think we're losing this like sense of community. And I would love to see I would love to see that be strengthened.

What is one thing big or small? You hope never changes?

I hoped my dogs never die. Um, one thing big or small? That never changes? I don't I don't know.

It's okay. What is one small or superficial thing and you can be really superficial if you want that you would change about yourself?

I don't know. I don't think again. I think this is kind of like that previous question. If you would have asked me in the past I think I probably would have been quick to fire off several things. But as I've become older, I think that I've just kind of embraced like, things that I didn't used to like about myself before. One of those is, I have a few scars on my face from, from my father. And I was very self conscious about that. And I would have given anything in the past to sit there and have those removed. I don't know how you remove a scar, but I thought I was willing to do whatever to have that removed in, I would do whatever I could also hide it. So I wouldn't ever even wear my hair like this before, it would just be covering, I have one in particular like, right right here. I'm sure you can see other ones as well. But as I've gotten older, I think that I just seen differently. And it isn't something to be shameful about anymore. I think it's just, I guess a testament to my will to survive and thrive. It's really about what I've been through. And in moving forward.

You definitely win. There's no winner to these rapid fire questions was put so far you win. Don't tell any of the other guests? How often do you change your toothbrush.

So I actually have a couple toothbrushes in my rotation. But it's because I have also recently become a caregiver for my grandparents. And I'm living half my time here in Columbus, Ohio and half back up north where they're from. So I have a couple of different toothbrushes. And outside of that, though, I do change it pretty often, just because it grosses me out.

Okay. Are you primarily a change maker, a change seeker or a change resistor?

I would say, Oh, can I be a combination? I'm sure. I feel that I am a change maker. But to be a change maker, you also have to be a change seeker. I don't know if I could be one without the other? I would I would say that it's it's kind of a combination of the two.

What does your next big change look like? And feel free to be imaginative, fantastical or aspirational in your answer?

My next big change, I think, would be getting accepted to medical school and fulfilling that aspiration to become a physician.

What would you say? If you only had a few words to give them? What would you say to someone who's looking to create lasting change?

I would say I would say don't be discouraged. I think if there's anything that all these challenges throughout my life have have shown me You know, I I think I could have easily given up at any point, just through the sheer number of challenges that I've had. But I have a stubbornness and a no or an outcome that doesn't go as I envisioned, it doesn't mean that it's permanent. I think that situations can change and you can be a part of that change. So don't be discouraged if you don't see results right away.

That's great. You are truly, truly inspiring. You're truly beautiful. And you're truly generous with your story and your spirit. And I hope all good things for you as you keep following through on your stubborn streak and going on and on in life. Thank you for talking with me today.

Thank you for having me. And thank you really for giving me a platform to share my story.

It's been almost two months since my interview with Juliana. But as we were completing the editing on this episode, I got an email update from her that I'd like to share with you. She tells me the legislation for the youth ombudsman will be amended to reflect the revisions requested by foster youth and alumni. The amended bill will be brought before the Ohio Senate for a vote in early 2022 Where it's expected to pass she goes On to write. Seeing these efforts come to fruition is bittersweet. Not just because I've invested three years into this initiative, but also because the youth ombudsman is actually where my advocacy journey first began, and that past version of myself could never have imagined what she was capable of or who she would become.

shift shift Bloom is made possible in part by the prayed Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to improving the well being of all through the use of personalized timely interventions and provider of online training in the T comm. Tools T calm is transformational collaborative outcomes management, a comprehensive framework for improving the effectiveness of helping systems through person centered care, online at prayed foundation.org and AT T comma conversations.org. And by the Center for Innovation in Population Health at the University of Kentucky online@iph.uk y.edu