Shelby’s Journey

 

From a very young age, Shelby Bradford has known abuse. At the age of seven, she had been victimized by sex traffickers. After spending years in foster care, she was confronted with abuse once again, resulting in her removal from her foster home at the age of 17.

 

Amid all the chaos and betrayal, she maintained hope and optimism that carried her through – ultimately coming to BCFS Health

and Human Services in Tyler. 

 

Shelby began working with a case manager at BCFS Health and Human Services. Her home life stabilized as she joined a loving foster family, and she worked toward furthering her education. With BCFS’ help, Shelby secured financial aid to go to college and was accepted to Sam Houston State University to study psychology. Her stellar performance in high school also helped earn her several scholarships.

 

Today, Shelby is very active in church and attends all of the youth events at the BCFS center in Tyler. 

 

Shelby has overcome unspeakable hardships with grace. Her “don’t take things for granted” mantra has motivated her to live in

gratitude and keep working hard. Her BCFS “family” is always on the sidelines cheering her on, as she presses on toward her bright future.