Julia Patricia Scott
Julia loved life! With 3 sisters, her mom, Duchess her dog, and 3 nephews who adored her, it made for a happy family. Julia’s spirit and outgoing personality was infectious. She always managed to have a good time and make sure everyone around was enjoying themselves. She loved being outside whether in the mountains hiking and camping or scuba diving in the ocean and playing in the water. Julia loved to travel and experience other cultures. When she lived in Eastern Africa with her father and sister, she had a deep connection with the local people and wanted to learn their ways of life, which was unique for someone her age.
Julia loved Duchess, spending many hours with her at dog parks and exploring. Duchess was her baby and she was certainly treated like one. As a cosmetologist, she loved glamour and keeping up with the latest trends. She had a knack for seeing lines and angles. Julia also loved to cook and try new recipes in the kitchen, some were good and some were not, but it never stopped her from having fun.
Julia’s back injury during her early teen years opened the door to her disease of addiction. As is so prevalent in today’s society, she was over prescribed opioids by a local doctor. From there her fight was nearly every day, trying to stay drug free and fighting this horrific disease. Julia had good times and rough times, but always managed to let us know she was fighting and that she loved us all more than she could express. In her death, it is obvious to most of us that she fought as hard as she could, partly for herself, but also for all of us.
The disease itself has been so poorly researched and its affects on the brain, poorly understood. For someone who doesn’t suffer from this disease, it was easy to say “please just choose life over the drugs”. We now know how naive it was to say this, as if she had a choice... Julia never had a choice. I wish more people could see the fight and how this is a disease with no cure, only poor treatments and only for those with money. People with this disease can have some good days or even good years but they are never cured. The only hope for our society is to find research-based treatments, funding effective maintence programs for those suffering from addiction, and prevention education, instead of just looking at them as junkies and disposable. Let it be seen in the same light as someone suffering from MS or ALS, our loved ones deserve that at least. Julia Scott the daughter, sister, and friend will be missed beyond words but stories about her will keep us laughing until we too take our last breaths.