Tantunia grew up in an addiction-filled family with a single mother who worked a lot. By the time she was 19 years old, Tantunia fell in love young, giving birth to 2 beautiful children. She knew she was too young and disappointed her mother. Though the relationship with her mother wasn’t always the best, she helped with raising the children. The father of her children was still around, but was just as irresponsible as her. With addiction and dysfunction being all that she knew, she started smoking marijuana.
At this point, she was meeting the wrong people, living unhealthy, fighting with family, the children’s father, and started to rely on using drugs to cope. Years passed and her mother continued to help financially. The children’s father ended up going to jail to get sober for a couple of years, not realizing that recovery programs were an option. The kids started school, and so did she.
Tantunia was doing well for a while despite never getting the help needed for her underlying issues. The addiction, depression, and traumatic events that happened while growing up led to a relationship with an older man who used drugs. With a lack of knowledge of recovery, she started using again. This time, however, Tantunia used harder drugs. She was 23 when the relationship turned into one of domestic violence. She stayed in this relationship for 2 years without support from family, ended up in jail, and lost custody of her children.
After a year of fighting to gain back custody, Tantunia was introduced to NA and recovery rooms. She left her toxic relationship, got a restraining order, and never looked back. Still fighting addiction, the kids moved to Texas with her mom, giving her time to get sober and financially stable. It took Tantunia 3 years to work on this. She eventually found a partner that supported her sobriety, they got their own place and were engaged. While the couple planned on having a baby, her children came back from Texas.
Soon she was pregnant with her third child but unfortunately, Tantunia failed to stay on top of her recovery. She stopped going to meetings, therapy, and self-care. Even though her family was back together, a part of Tantunia slipped away. Before she knew it, she was pregnant and using. Her baby tested positive. “My decision ripped away my family, home, and stability. My kids went back to Texas, my newborn baby stayed with the father, and I had to leave my home. I was so hurt by my actions.”
After that, she realized enough was enough and entered TFCF on December 9, 2021. Her goals were to reunite with her son, remain in sobriety, become self-sufficient and graduate from a drug and alcohol program. As a participant of the Positive Family Future Reunification Program, she has been given the opportunity to garner the skillset that breaks the cycle of generational domestic violence.
She got her job at Stater Bros on February 10, and a promotion with the company within a couple of weeks! She has completed participation in all of TFCF’s classes and programs: Life Skills, 12 –Step Education, and Relapse Prevention. She is also well on her way to completing and receiving her certificate for drugs and alcohol. Recently, Tantunia went to court and was awarded her rights back to her son, she has achieved her goal of reunifying with her baby boy! Next is getting her own home for her and her son. We are so proud of her!
“I’ve realized addiction is a disease, and I will forever need to stay connected to NA, recovery, and seek help when I need it. I enrolled in drug and alcohol programs and I’m about to graduate. I had a relapse, but am still fighting to remain sober and not be homeless again.”