Member Highlight: DeAnn Juliano
DeAnn grew up in the repossession business and is a third generation participant in our industry. She works with her brother in managing the day-to-day operations of Preferred Adjusters, Inc. in Austin, TX. Although the business is her main job, her true calling is riding horses. She is an accomplished rider in several equestrian disciplines, including Dressage, Show Jumping and Hunter. One of her most rewarding life experiences is teaching others the skills of horsemanship. Over the years her most special students have been autistic children. DeAnn has been able to share her equestrian skills to help change the lives of these children.
On August 7, 2015, DeAnn was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. Since that time, all of life’s little pleasures are a struggle. She has lost her job at the stable and is unable to ride. With all of the other issues she is dealing with, the loss of the joy of working at the stable is one of the hardest to face.
In her community, DeAnn has always been known to be the one to call if you are having personal issues or need a friend. If someone needed a place to stay or help with the daily challenges of everyday life, she was there for them to lean on or to lend a sympathetic ear. Now, it is this very same community that is giving her the lift that she so desperately needs. Her network of support includes all of her Facebook friends as well as a local support group of women who have dealt with, or are currently dealing with, breast cancer. Some of her very close friends have started a Go Fund Me page (https://www.gofundme.com/deannjuliano) to help her cover the cost of treatments and living expenses since the loss of her riding income.
We all have DeAnn in our prayers and hope that the positive prognosis that her doctors have given holds true. As of today, she has undergone four of her six chemotherapy treatments and still faces radiation, surgery and another round of treatments that will last another eleven months. We all know DeAnn is an incredibly strong and determined spirit and we know she will conquer this.
Thanks for all that you do, DeAnn! You are such a blessing to our association, community and industry.