Claudia was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She grew up in a home without a father, spending most of her childhood with her mother who worked long hours to support them both. Like many kids who grow up too fast, Claudia often found herself alone, searching for something to fill the emptiness she felt.

By the age of 12, her life began to take a different path. Looking for acceptance and a sense of belonging, she became involved with gangs. Around that same time, she began experimenting with drugs. What started with marijuana slowly opened the door to harder substances, pulling her deeper into a world she never imagined for herself.

By the time she was 19, she had an addiction to heroin and the streets that had no mercy on her.  Homelessness, crime, and survival became her daily reality. At just 20 years old, she had already served time in prison. For nearly a decade, heroin and prison systems controlled her life. 

But somewhere within that darkness, Claudia found a strength she didn’t know she had. She fought her way out of addiction and reclaimed her life.

Looking back, Claudia reflects on a different time "Back then people were not dying from heroin, people overdosed when they did too much. My daughter consumed half-a pill and died.” As a former opioid addict, she says "I know without a doubt that this was not an overdose."

She never imagined that years later the drug crisis would change so drastically that something far more dangerous would flood the streets.

She never imagined she would lose her daughter to fentanyl, the deadliest synthetic opioid the streets have ever seen.

Since Desiree’s passing, Claudia went on to earn her Associate of Arts degree in Sociology transferring to Pacific Oaks College, where she is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in social work. Her goal is to continue her education and obtain a master’s in social work so that she can work as a clinical therapist.
Claudia’s desire is to be a change agent in a broken world. Her passion is to work with young adults who are struggling with addiction and help them find hope, healing, and a new path forward.
Claudia says, "Desiree has become a guiding force in her life. Knowing that Desiree is cheering her on from above gives her strength and motivation to keep going. Beauty From Ashes was created to turn loss into purpose to bring awareness about fentanyl, prevent overdoses, and help others find hope even in the darkest moments.

Still trying to make sense of the loss, Claudia says through heartbreak, “Who dies from half a pill? It just blows my mind.”