In one notable storyline, Julia became pregnant after being raped by Louie Greco, a drug dealer who lived nearby, and chose to have an abortion, despite considerable opposition from her devout Roman Catholic Mexican-American family.

Five years later, in 2002, Maria was found alive and once again Julia returned to see her sister and they shared an emotional reunion.

Since then, she became the legal guardian of a little girl named Kathy whose parents were killed in a car accident, and embarked on an affair with Jamie Martin.

Julia was offered the head-nurse job at a hospital in Australia and was planning on leaving Pine Valley.

Together with a steady internal bleed, Julia knew her chances of surviving were slim to none, even with surgery, and so she decided against it.

In the hospital bed, in the presence of Joe and Krystal, Julia tearfully slipped away, speaking of her love for Kathy.