Julie Downs

Julie Downs was born (1960) and raised in Gulfport, Ms. She graduated in 1978 and completed 2 years of college before she met and married her husband Bill. She is part-time self employed and a full time mother and caregiver for her handicap daughter Cindy who is her first born. Her second born, Brad was killed in 2007 by a drunk driver along with his wife, Samantha and a young man who she loved like a son, Chris. In 2008, while searching the internet for any information she could find about grief, loss of a child and drunk driving she started a support group on facebook so that she could connect with others who knew the pain that she was living with. In 2014 in honor of her kids she co-founded along with her husband and Candy Webb, AVIDD-Advocates for Victims of Impaired/Distracted Driving. She is co-administrator to 4 online support groups on facebook. She lends a listening hear and an understanding heart to victims of impaired/distracted driving. She is co-author of Grief Diaries, Loss by Impaired Driving.