Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Aguilar.
Monica , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My husband Jose and I are the founders of Junie’s Peer Support Group and the Michael Ray Villarreal Jr. Scholarship Foundation. The foundation was established in May of 2014 and Junie’s was established in June of 2023. Junie was my sons nickname that was given to him when he was a baby. We lost Junie on March 18, 2014 to suicide after a long 8 hour standoff with Law Enforcement at a Parks and Ride in Angleton Texas. Junie was also a US Marine with a heart of gold.. We have given out thousands of dollars in scholarships to local high schools in Brazoria County. We have also been supporters of numerous different suicide prevention programs around the Brazoria county Area. Our family and team have the heart and passion to help others during the difficult times of losing a loved one and dealing with any mental illness or just facing the overwhelming feelings of life.We hold monthly meetings for both adult and youth. Our doors are also open from Monday- Friday 9am-5pm for anyone that is needing a individual session. We now see the need in our community much clearer. Our team is wanting to help our people in our community with walking in their purpose. Our vision is to cultivate a thriving community where our adults and youth in our county have access to the peer support and mentorship that we are in need of. As we focus on our community , we can guide them and empower them to walk in their purpose while helping them with their mental health, confidence, self-care, self-love, we will see the wonderful success of each individual walking towards their purpose in this journey.There has been many that we have come across with no hope, lifeless and feeling like committing suicide because they feel like their life is not worth living for anymore. Junie’s Peer Support Group want people to know just three things. YOU ARE NOT ALONE, YOU ARE LOVED AND YOUR LIFE MATTERS!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
OH no since we have lost my son the road has been everything but smooth. So we lost Junie on March 18, 2014 and his brother took it so very hard since his birthday is on March 14, 1997. So we did start the foundation in his memory in may 2014. Then in oct. 2016 I had my first stroke which left me paralyzed from my whole left side. My husband had to put me in rehab where I had to learn how to walk and talk again. well that didn’t stop there. The next 3 years were the toughest , so I had 3 more strokes and COVID a total of 4 times. Then at this point my husband had to quit working a 40 hour job completely. My husband then became my personal Nurse ,which he had to do everything for me. I truly thank god for my husband as he took good care of me. I had the best family and friends support. So as I was going through all the sickness my daughter and son were still struggling with the loss of their brother.The road got so rough that they both also attempted suicide .Then at that time I was getting better and I had to make up my mind. I refused to bury another child . We then had to do the peer support group so we could help not only my children but others as well. Although the road has been rough but it is definitely worth the ride.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
So like I mentioned earlier I suffered from multiple strokes and COVID I was put on Disability at the age of 40. Although that is not how I visioned my life at that age. God had another plan for my life. So as we started the peer support group I became a Peer support specialist. We are people who use our lived experience of mental health problems to support others. We use our own experience and empathy to help people with mental health problems and their families. We as Peer support workers, we join a patient’s care team to help provide support and inspiration for recovery. I have used all the pain that I have endured to turn it around and be there for others. It has been tough but I look back now on how many lives that we have touched and I am ok with all that has brought me to this time, Seeing the lives flourish like a flower is worth more than any amount of money in the world. I always tell everyone that I come in contact with that if they can remember 3 things that we tell all our people. YOU ARE LOVED, YOUR LIFE MATTERS AND YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I didn’t have the best childhood. I went through some terrible trauma in my childhood that others have not experienced but I know I had to go through some of that pain so I would be able to endure the pain I was going through when I lost my son and going through almost losing my own life. I had parents that loved me but at same time they thought that giving me all the materialitic things were good . But it wasn’t , so I say that I think my best childhood memory was seeing that I could make others happy by me being very giving to others and learning at a young age to being a servant..
Pricing:
- god puts the right price in their heart
Contact Info:
- Instagram: junie.0122
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572957687622
