Dr. Phil Foundation

Luz

Click here for Luz's story on DrPhil.com

Despite unbelievable odds, Luz has managed to overcome adversity and violence to become a dynamic and resilient young woman. Born in Mexico under extreme hardship, Luz and her seven siblings lived in a garage with their parents. "My father was very violent with everyone; we all walked on eggshells around him. We were beaten a lot," she recalls. Her father killed Luz's 2-year-old sister and 5-year-old brother and forced his family to help bury the bodies. He was eventually sentenced to the death penalty, and her mother was sent to prison and later deported. As a result of this tragedy, Luz and her remaining five siblings were forced into the foster care system.

Luz was determined to keep her family together at any cost. At age 11, she obtained a lawyer and took her plight to the media. "I moved a lot of people and they actually let me stay with the kids," she says. Throughout six years in foster care, Luz's brothers and sisters managed to remain in the same household.

In spite of such a turbulent past, Luz is a hard-working young woman who excels in school. The Dr. Phil Foundation, in conjunction with the Children's Defense Fund's Beat the Odds® program, has arranged for this amazing teen to receive a full four-year scholarship to the University of San Diego, a 2004 Hyundai Accent, $1,000 in free gas from Shell Oil Company, and free cell phones so she and her siblings can stay connected while she is at school.

To help give a fresh start to a kid like Luz