Maria Garcia

My first experience with My Yellow Balloon and its amazing creator, Tiffany Papageorge, was in May 2019. Through this book, Tiffany shared the story of so many children's experience with trauma related to grief and loss. For the first time in my life, I felt like someone understood the lost grieving, hurt, and traumatized little girl inside of me. My experience with My Yellow Balloon was a critical component of my healing journey. Grief and loss has no bounds and as a 36-year-old woman, mother, daughter, sister, wife, cousin, aunt, educator, and advocate for marginalized, vulnerable and exploited/abused populations, I am finally able to use my knowledge, experience, and personal growth to positively impact the lives of others on a higher level. My Yellow Balloon expanded my social-emotional inventory and my capacity to help others. Initially, I purchased 20 books to use in my school district's Gang Prevention and Intervention Program. It has been an effective tool for helping a very traumatized and marginalized population, gang involved youth, understand and begin the painful process of understanding and healing from their grief and loss. Since May 2019, I have purchased several books for both children and adults who have shared their experience of trauma with grief and loss with me. My most recent purchase was for my mother, Elizabeth. Thank you, Tiffany, for helping us put words to our feelings and being a guiding light on the healing journey.