Ariana's Story
"I don’t usually post like this but I’m actually proud and I’ve come along way.
11 months ago I got arrested for the first time easily made the top five scariest moments of my life. But as time went on it got bumped further down the list. The last 10–11 months have been the roughest I think I’ll ever have. Between nights in police cells munching on my parmi sipping my cordial and having the best gossip sessions with the custody cops, getting refused bail, days in mental wards, and months on bail I just gave up.
I lost the chance to do the two careers I’d dreamed of until I hit around 30 or 40. My criminal record ended up longer than my arm, and I’m not exactly short. My hospital admissions Also longer than my arm. There were many good runs from the cops and ambos, many fences jumped, and thousands of kilometers walked I reckon if I had a Fitbit it would’ve filed for workers comp. The only time I actually slept was when I was sedated turns out the secret to fixing insomnia is just getting riled up.
December was one of the lowest points a major overdose that left me with liver damage. I was getting arrested every few days hospital almost daily. It got to the point I was sentenced to three years in juvie and was ready to be taken downstairs before my solicitor pulled off a miracle and I walked out with 12 months on a bond instead.
I’m still on four bonds and unfortunately still on bail but I’ve completely turned my life around and I’m not a court regular anymore. the magistrate surely has a shrine of me in there office like some sort of morbid trophy. In the past four months I’ve only been arrested 2–3 times which, for me, is practically a clean record. been to the hospital only 4–5 times, and finally stopped walking the streets. I gained back the 20 kg I lost.
I’m not at school anymore unfortunately but I still got plenty of school photos taken courtesy of Tamworth Police Station’s finest photographers. Along the way I’ve met every cop in town and all of them except two deserve their badge. Tamworth police are some of the kindest people I’ve come across and they’ve given me career paths I can still follow despite my past.
I’ve completely cut out my worst habits and cut down majorly on a few others. I’ve come a long way and I can’t thank Youth Insearch and Tamworth Police enough for the support the help and let’s be real the arrests I got let off with shoutout to the officers who decided I wasn’t worth the paperwork."
This story is shared in the young person’s own words to preserve authenticity, including original grammar & language. Names, images, and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of the young person featured.
