Motivational Speaker Accepts Past After Accidentally Killing Mom in Suicide Attempt at 12

After years of struggles, an Ohio woman in her 40s had come to accept her horrible past, including accidentally killing her mom when she was just 12 years old. 

Tammy Jo Johnson, who is now a mother of three kids, has shared her story of redemption via the documentary series "Real Women/Real Stories." The show, produced by Lauren Santucci, is focused on helping other victims of abuse to let them know that they are not alone in their experiences.  

Johnson shared that she spent her younger years in a juvenile facility after accidentally killing her mom when she attempted to take her own life. Johnson wanted to kill herself because she suffered from sexual abuse at the hands of three family members. She kept this a secret from her mother, who was already dealing with the legal problems of her brothers.

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She Thought Suicide was a Rebirth

At 12 years old, Johnson said that she had a very narrow understanding of suicide and thought it was like a rebirth. She believed that if she killed herself, she could start a new life all over again. 

So, one night, she took a gun kept in their house and fired it a few times. The weapon missed her, but it hit her mom, sleeping on the couch.  

Because of what happened, Johnson was sent to a juvenile prison in Delaware and was incarcerated for nearly ten years. While in prison, she found her own power and voice when she learned of the stories of the other women who were also abused. 

Life, however, wasn't easy when Johnson got out of prison because she didn't find the same love and support she received from her prison mates in the real world outside. But Johnson pressed on and learned how to straighten up her life to get to where she is today, especially after having children. According to Daily Mail, she was able to land a good job as a Google engineer, published her life story, and became a motivational speaker.

Johnson said that the smoke started to clear from her path when she slowly accepted what she had done in the past. She also decided not to be a victim of her circumstance and instead advocated for other victims of sexual abuse.

Honoring Her Mother Every Day

In 2020, Johnson wrote a piece on Essence after releasing a book about her experience at 12 years old and spoke for Dress for Success, a global charity helping women in low-income families land a job. She said that she never fails to honor and think about her mother or "see her everywhere." 

Johnson said that she feels the presence of her mother when she deals with her teenage kids and her youngest daughter. She has slowly walked her eldest daughter through the bits and pieces of her past. Through her encouragement, she started sharing her story on other platforms, especially when she needed to raise awareness of sexual abuse and the victim's right to move forward and redefine their life. 

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