In the background, Ali Embree's seven-month-old son was babbling and cooing.

"Sorry, he's just learning how to scream," she laughed. "He's so loud."

The sound wasn't disruptive, however. It was the sound of a baby who loved his mom, his world and his life.

Just over a year ago when Embree found out she was pregnant, that kind of life wasn't a guarantee. Embree is now sober, having worked hard to fight dependency on drugs like crack, fentanyl and Percocet.

One year ago, she was living on the streets, bouncing between communities and with no goal in life. Now in her mid-30s, she's a new mom, runs a Tiktok account about motherhood and her journey with addiction, and speaks in a fun, excitable tone of voice. She seems happy. She also speaks candidly about her experience using drugs and wit

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