We all have a passion for something. My biggest passion, the thing that gives me the most incredible rush, the thing that turns me into a megalomaniac is advoacy.
Let me give you a little background. For those who haven't read back in my blog, in 1998, I was forced to relinquish custody of my daughter to obtain medical care for her that I could not afford.
It was an ugly fight to bring her home. A fight with many heros: Former First Lady/ Senator Hilary Rodham Clinton, Senator Barbara Boxer, Senator Diane Feinstein, Congresswoman Mary Bono, County Supervisor Roy Wilson, Former Governor Gray Davis, Jean Tuller at the Health Care Finance Adminstration, Former AB2726 Corordinator Scott Berenson, Former Assistant to the Former State Superintendet of Schools Henry Der, amongst many many others.
SO I went from a hopless, helpless, victim with nothing left to an empowered, victorious, advocate. The journey even included my being invited to Washington DC to speak to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry's Working Group on Consumer Issues. All those who participated were quoted and named in the AACAP Journal.
My battle was one I shared via many yahoogroups. With much encouragement, I worte a book. A book that at one point Harper Collins showed an interest in, but in the end never picked up.
So this book, WRONG ANSWER, sits on my hard drive, all 219 pages of it.
Since my fight, I know of 4 other people whose children came home as a direct result of what I went through, learned, and complied in my book.
As a result, I get calls and e-mails asking for help. I usually will e-mail off the part of the book that will most help them. For no other reason then I have been there myself and know what it is like.
So, yesterday I got an e-mail from a lady who contacted me the first time about 2 months ago. It took a month for her to compile the information I told her she needed. She then followed the steps I gave her that have worked for myself and others.
The past month has been rough for her to say the least. Anyhow, the e-mail yesterday was that her son was released from the system and internal affairs along with others are doing criminal investigations as to her son's treatment.
So this is what I live for. This is what makes me feel like I am a success. Regardless that I got no monetary comensation from any of the people I have helped, I am a success because I helped save a child, I helped pull a family back together, I made a difference. To me that is success.
What is your Passion?