Tara and Juliana came to Saint Martin’s House at the end of January 2012. Tara’s talk at the Book and Author Luncheon included both a poem and her description of some of the life events that brought her to us.
Juliana is a bright and happy baby, described by her mom as a miracle.
The following is Tara’s speech:
My Name is Tara Emory and I’m here to tell you a little bit about myself and how far I’ve come. My mom was a drug addict and I never met my father, I started drinking, smoking, and having sex at the age of 12, by the time I turned 16 I was smoking and selling crack cocaine, when I turned 22 I was 3 months pregnant with my daughter Juliana, about a month later I got arrested for possession, with intent to distribute, that had been my third charge within 2 years therefore the judge made my bail $100,000 and the bailbondsman was asking for $2,500 to get me out. No one in my family had that kind of money.
Time went by and my due date came closer. I gave birth to Juliana la’Vae Archer, 6lbs 13ozs, perfectly healthy at 12:08pm on November 15, 2011, I had no trouble with her at all. The best days of my life soon turned into the worst. I had to go back to jail.
I had to say goodbye and give my miracle away to my aunt. That was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my entire life. I cried for a week straight, I wouldn’t eat anything or sleep until they had breakfast at 4am. All I would do was read my bible, ask God to give me strength and send me home with my daughter. On December 7 I went to court and there by my side was my aunt and my baby girl. That was the first time I had seen her since I gave birth to her.
The judge gave me time served and that dropped my bail to $50,000. God was definitely in the building that day. When my daughter turned a month old I was walking out of the gates to hold my miracle and go home. I needed to turn my life all the way around and stay home for my daughter. I checked into the Whitsitt Center on Dec 29 and left with a certificate of completion on Jan 25. I came to the St. Martins house on the 30th and still remain there. Since my arrival I have enrolled into parenting and GED classes and I also attend AA meetings every other day. I plan on getting my license, a job and a better future for myself and my daughter. The best part of all of this is …..Juliana is right by my side every day! So every day when I wake up I give my daughter a kiss, Thank God for being in the St. Martins house and giving me my second chance at life. Thank you!!