Meet barbie
Barbie fought tears as she spoke about the impact Healing House had on her life. She said, “The only things I knew how to do were get high and go to jail.” She credits the program with teaching her how to live and overcome her substance use disorder. Barbie learned vital life skills at Healing House and was inspired to pursue a career in addiction advocacy. Addiction had been a part of Barbie’s life since before she could remember, as both her parents were addicts and not present for most of her life. In high school, her grandfather’s death led her to drop out of school and turn to drugs, escalating her addiction and involvement in the drug community, leading to felony drug charges.
In November of 2012, Barbie checked into Healing House for the second time, embracing the recovery process and staying committed to sobriety. Since then, she has had a successful career in addiction advocacy, working at the Heartland Center For Behavioral Change and the nonprofit sector, where she helps others struggling with substance use disorder. “Ever since I have been sober I just wanted to help others” said Barbie. She even started her own legal clinic that equips people with the finances and resources they need to be better prepared for court.
Healing House gave Barbie the tools she needed to achieve long term recovery and impact others. She never understood why Bobbi Jo and Mama Judi so willingly invited her in and loved her unconditionally, until now.
