Julie's Story
Disclaimer: To protect the integrity of ongoing reviews and potential legal matters, certain names, identifying details, and references to individuals, organizations, and institutions have been removed, abbreviated, or altered. These modifications have been made for legal and privacy purposes while I continue to investigate potential legal ramifications and seek professional guidance regarding matters discussed within this story.
To My Friends, Supporters, and Community,
First, I want to apologize for my delay in sharing this update and for not being as present in the community as I had intended.
Many have asked about the story that inspired me to found The Preservatory, and it is such. Behind this is a story of depression, injustice, advocacy, determination, resilience, self-love, self-care, and survival. It is a story about what it truly means to become a warrior when community support feels scarce, when the systems you hope will help leave you searching for answers, and when you are forced to find ways to keep going when the support you need is not there.For quite some time, I have debated whether to share this part of my journey.
I have significantly revised and shortened my intended story for release due to legal protections as I navigate my circumstances, and I hope to share more with you in the future about the fullness of my story that led me to create The Preservatory and The Healing Justice Network.
Most people assume I found The Preservatory because of the immense loss of loved ones I have experienced from suicide throughout my life, including the loss of my brother, Blue, in 2006.
While those experiences undoubtedly shaped my perspective and strengthened my commitment to community healing, the truth is that The Preservatory ultimately emerged from my own personal struggle. What began as an effort to navigate my own health challenges, isolation, recovery, and search for meaningful support evolved into a deeper mission to create spaces where others could access genuine, safe, trusted support in healing, connection, culture, and community before reaching a point of crisis.
Following the car accident I experienced in 2021—the life-changing event that ultimately led to the creation of The Preservatory—I sustained injuries that did not present immediately and developed over time to severe trauma. What I did not know then was that these injuries were contributing to the chronic migraines and pain I had been experiencing for years since my 2021 car accident, which eventually progressed into daily acute migraines, vertigo, illness, and complete dysfunction.
Throughout the struggles of these experiences, I was challenged with the interest and need to preserve my own life, and I was not accepting of what I was experiencing or the lack of support surrounding me from friends, family, and community. I became enraged and ultimately heartbroken by it.
I refused to let the anger and pain I was carrying define the rest of my story, so I chose to turn it into purpose.
Guided by the loss of my brother, Blue, to suicide, I knew that giving up was not the move. I began asking what prevention could look like if we approached it differently—if we created spaces centered around connection, healing, creativity, culture, and the preservation of life.
That vision became the foundation for The Preservatory, which I created in 2022.
The Preservatory was born from a need to create a different concept and approach to prevention—one that looks beyond crisis and creates opportunities for people to connect with resources, community, creativity, healing, and reasons to keep going.
While I was building The Preservatory, I was also recovering from a lateral meniscus surgery from a tear I sustained from injuries not corrected from the car accident, all the while dealing with severe trauma, chronic migraines, and aimlessly trying to find qualified rehabilitation and healing support. At the same time, I was struggling with significant financial challenges and a lack of income, while my chronic migraines continued to grow more frequent and eventually became debilitating.
To add insult to injury, shortly after my 2021 car accident, I made the decision to sell my property and invested a substantial amount of the proceeds into the purchase of a motel with a close high school friend whom I considered family. I was told that the motel would be transformed into low-income, short-term rentals and that this investment would help create financial freedom for me so I would not have to continue struggling financially moving forward. All of these intentions spoke to my heart and interest.
This was someone I had supported early in his breaking career and watched become the professional breakdancer he is today—someone I cherished deeply and believed in within our community. I also supported him through his own healing of injuries by providing massage therapy in the past, as I’ve been a licensed neuromuscular therapeutic and deep tissue Massage Therapist since 2005, and by having my father sponsor chiropractic care for him at no cost.
I saw this person’s success and, after seeing the struggles I had faced in my own life and my fight to survive and secure myself, I just knew he had my best interests at heart. I trusted and believed in the partnership and the opportunity, and made the investment with confidence, as I knew he had my back. Like many relationships built through Hip Hop culture and community, our connection was rooted in years of shared experiences, shared family, mutual support, and trust; “Word is bond.”
Today, over five years later, the intended investment I made for what was presented to me has not been fulfilled, and I find myself financially depleted, all the while watching the people involved fill up their financial cups while continuing to drain mine. I am now dealing with a legal matter surrounding this investment and fighting to address what has happened and the financial circumstances that have resulted from it. For now, I will reserve further comments regarding this matter as I continue to navigate the legal process.
Meanwhile, my health continued to deteriorate.
In 2024, as my symptoms continued after thousands of dollars spent on countless therapies on massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, and nutrition care, I wondered, “Why am I not healing?” I demanded an MRI and was told the results came back normal. My symptoms continued to become more and more severe throughout the year, and with incredible daily dysfunction, I demanded an additional MRI in 2025.
This second MRI was done with contrast, and the report came back again as normal and of no concern. It wasn't until I looked closely at the imaging myself that I began to recognize what I believed was a concussion.
Because I grew up working in my father’s chiropractic clinic, I had been exposed to the body, X-rays, nutrition, and chiropractic care all my life. As a licensed Massage Therapist that worked by my father's side supporting rehabilitative auto injuries, I also understood enough about anatomy, physiology, and structural health to know that what I was seeing and experiencing did not feel right.
Last June, after advocating for myself and, for the second time, requesting a concussion evaluation, I had another MRI and again explained to medical professionals that I believed I had sustained a traumatic brain injury. It was lightly regarded, noted in their notes, and I was given three sessions of physical therapy—3 dry needling sessions on my neck, 3 speech, and 3 cognitive therapy—which was an absolute mockery for the severity of my circumstances, a 5-year delayed recognition of an acute TBI that has extremely progressed.
On May 8, 2026, I returned to this medical institution as my symptoms had become so severe that I could hardly walk due to extreme vertigo. I was experiencing significant neurological dysfunction, compromised speech, overwhelming pain, and what felt like the “wires in my brain were crossing.” I was completely depleted and struggling to function at all at this point. I was told they had no more care available for me through their specialty centers, and I was sent out the door after being asked to sign a medical power of attorney in case I were to end my life.
On May 9, 2026, I returned believing I was finally going to my neurology appointment, only to be denied further neurological testing and services despite the severity of my condition and placed on an 8+ month waiting list for neuropsychological testing. I was also documented as having an acute mild traumatic brain injury with severe post-concussive syndrome. I was given no referrals and denied further assistance from this institution.
I went home that day ready to give up. I was on E and ready to be done with it all. The pain was so severe that it felt like my head was going to explode. I literally put my head against the wall and thought, “I have nothing to lose.”
I started performing cranial release work on myself, hoping to relieve whatever was transpiring in my brain. And, to my surprise, I found a release. That became a pivotal moment of hope for me and gave me the determination to continue working on myself and see what results I could attain on my own.
As of today, I have finally received a neurology appointment for early September for a formal neurological diagnosis and apparently remain on that 8+ month waiting list for a neuropsychological appointment that most humans cannot sustain themselves throughout this time frame, resulting in drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness, and ultimately death, most likely by suicide. Since I have experienced drug and alcohol substance misuse/abuse in the past, I denied their medications and persevered through the pain all the while. It has been a long and frustrating process trying to access the appropriate care, answers, and support while navigating the realities of my condition and my limited capacity.
This experience has significantly affected my ability to be present in the community. It has completely compromised my nervous system as I continue to navigate chronic daily migraines, vertigo, significant neurological challenges and twitching, compromised vagus nerve function, disruptions in ATP energy production, and extreme sensitivity to light, sound, crowds, and high-energy and busy environments.
Finding the right care and support in my current condition, being a Medicaid patient, has been incredibly challenging, as most treatments are not covered by Medicaid. This journey has required me to become more than an active participant in my healing. I have had to advocate for myself, learn, research, and continue finding ways to support my own recovery.
I have relied heavily on my professional background and understanding of the body to support my own recovery while continuing to navigate additional support systems. Throughout this trying journey, I have personally performed more than 226 hours of cranial and sacral release work and structural integration on myself since May 9th, working through more than five years of accumulated fascial restrictions while doing everything I can to support my healing. I have lost most of my hair throughout this release process, yet I have also experienced improvements, including reversing some of the autoimmune response I developed from this injury, lessening the severe pressure, lessening the vertigo, and can finally listen to music again!
I have also integrated daily nutritional support with my Nutrition Response Testing practitioner when I can afford it, drawing from my own knowledge and experience as an assistant in NRT work, which uses applied kinesiology testing to support not only neurological healing but also the systems and organs impacted by this injury. Alongside this, I have incorporated yoga, breathwork, and plant and earth medicine into my healing process.
While I feel a significant difference in my overall brain function and well-being, I am still exhausted daily, with a hyperactive nervous system to heal from being stuck in fight-or-flight for 5.5 years, compromised ATP production, and organ complications from vagus nerve damage. I still have a long road of healing ahead of me.
And this is where The Healing Justice Network began to take shape.
The moral of the story is this: this journey has shown me firsthand how many gaps exist within our current systems of medical “care” and how difficult it can be for individuals to access timely, appropriate, and culturally relevant support. Through The Healing Justice Network, my intention is to help build pathways that bridge those gaps and create spaces where people can find connection, healing, advocacy, and hope before reaching a point of crisis.
WE MUST DO BETTER!
There is a need for more integrated, timely, and holistic preventative models of care that recognize the full complexity of brain, body, and trauma-based conditions. Healing cannot always wait for extended timelines, incorrect diagnoses, fragmented referrals, or narrowly defined treatment options.
Throughout this trying journey, when I have had the capacity, I have slowly started developing The Healing Justice Network.
As I searched for my own healing, I began looking for practitioners, modalities, resources, and people aligned with the kind of care and support I believe our communities deserve. I recognized how difficult it can be to find culturally aligned holistic healers and trusted resources—especially when you are already struggling physically, emotionally, and financially.
I began thinking about what it would look like to create a network where people could find trusted practitioners and contributors in one connected community, while also making those services more accessible, affordable, and culturally aligned.
The Healing Justice Network is a partnership of The Preservatory with culturally aligned holistic healers, practitioners, artists, culture bearers, organizations, businesses, and community contributors who are aligned with The Preservatory’s mission of preserving life with holistic approaches and the cultured elements of Hip Hop.
Through this network, members can access discounted products and services, while practitioners and contributors have an opportunity to work together to better serve our community.
Whether it is through holistic healing practices, mental health support, art, culture, movement, education, therapies, or other contributions connected to the preservation of life, we want to create more pathways for people to access the support they need.
This year, The Warriors fundraising event is in the works and will be a much smaller production due to my need to focus on my recovery. That being said, The Warriors remains just as important, and we will be holding a silent auction at this coming Warriors Annual Fundraiser on 09/26/26 to raise much-needed funds to support our new focus on The Healing Justice Network, which we are working toward releasing in the new year of 2027.
Please join The Preservatory for a special Warriors gathering on September 26, 2026, celebrating Hip Hop, community, connection, and the preservation of life during National Suicide Prevention Month.
For this special gathering, we’re opening the circle and honoring one of Hip Hop’s most powerful traditions—the cypher. The cypher is the essence of Hip Hop: a space where culture, creativity, self-expression, and community come together. For us Warriors, we transform that circle into a circle of healing—a place to move, speak, create, connect, and remind one another that we don’t have to face life’s challenges alone.
This year, The Warriors will also carry a focused intention: helping fund the release and development of The Healing Justice Network. Rather than creating a large-scale production, I am intentionally shifting the focus toward what is most needed right now—community coming together in the cypher and raising funds to support the infrastructure, practitioner vetting, partnerships, and development necessary to build this network and make holistic, culturally aligned healing more accessible and affordable. Come learn more about the practitioners that have supported me throughout this journey thus far!
We will also be holding a silent auction as part of this year's fundraising effort, and every contribution will help us move this work forward.
While we may be taking a smaller approach this year, the purpose is not smaller. We are behind our intended schedule, but we are not done—we are pivoting with purpose. We are making the shifts necessary to honor my recovery while continuing to move the mission forward and, more importantly, to meet the current priorities of our mission: making access to holistic health practices more accessible and affordable within our community.
That is where I am asking for your support.
If you believe in this vision or simply will support me and my endeavors, there are many ways you can sponsor or support:
Sponsor or donate to The Warriors, volunteer, donate or participate in the silent auction, contribute to The Healing Justice Network initiative fund, share our work, or help connect us with culturally aligned practitioners and community partners.
Your tax-deductible donations or sponsorships will help us build the infrastructure needed for The Healing Justice Network, vet culturally aligned holistic healers and practitioners, develop resources, create partnerships, and build a sustainable network that can help connect people with more accessible healing opportunities, all the while supporting me!
I also want to be transparent that I have never received compensation for my work with The Preservatory since I founded it in 2022, we have yet to receive a grant after several applications. During this season of recovery, I need support more than ever while continuing to carry this mission forward. Contributing to The Preservatory, The Warriors, or The Healing Justice Network Initiative helps us continue building this work while allowing me the space and capacity I need to heal.
We invite holistic practitioners, artists, organizations, businesses, and community members who believe in this vision to consider becoming part of The Healing Justice Network. Together, we can better serve our community, support mental health, and create greater access to holistic health and healing.
The Preservatory is still here and alive and so am I on this road to recovery. I am slowly finding my way back into the community as my capacity allows, while being mindful of the atmospheres and energies I’m surrounded by.
I look forward to seeing my community at this year’s The Warriors on 09/26/26. I ask that you please take me as I am and be patient with me and mindful of my present circumstances and capacity when we engage. Heart-to-heart hugs are greatly needed and appreciated.
I may become overwhelmed, short and direct, and at times need to step away or find a quiet place during the event as I navigate my capacity in the moment. I ask that you please take me as I am and be patient with me and mindful of my present circumstances and capacity when we engage.
I want to honor my past brother, Blue, whose memory and spirit continue to guide me in building The Preservatory, the deep gratitude for my past mother's spirit, whose love, strength, and encouragement continue fueling the fire within me to create The Healing Justice Network, and I honor my great, great, great grandmother Echo, who spiritually guides me to release these missions into the world and stay the course through life's challenges and uncertainty, to speak my truth, and to support a lineage of Native ancestral mental health struggle of trauma, silence, and suicide, and my Preservatory family for sticking through this with me.
I want to acknowledge myself for the determination, resilience, and perseverance it has taken to continue fighting this battle of healing and injustice. There have been many moments when the path forward felt impossible, when I was depleted, overwhelmed, and unsure of what came next, yet I continued to advocate for myself, search for answers, and refuse to give up hope.
I hope this message encourages you to persevere, to fight for what should be right, and to never underestimate the power of your own voice when you know something is unjust.
Huge gratitude to everyone who has supported me through this incredibly trying journey—you know who you are—and a deep gratitude to our volunteers and partners who are willing to support this fundraising initiative—and support me.
We could not do this without you!
Yours truly,
Julie Koontz
Founder, The Preservatory
Creator, The Healing Justice