Fayetteville native Cindy Curtis Johnson is encouraging everyone to sign the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network’s petition to help prevent suicide by raising awareness of these tragic losses of lives.
This petition will be presented on Sept. 12 in Nashville at a suicide prevention awareness event and may be presented to the General Assembly to show support for policies that prevent suicide and promote mental wellness. The goal is for the petition to have 10,000 signatures.
Johnson is chairperson for the Montgomery, Houston, Humphreys and Stewart County Suicide Prevention Task Force. She works in Clarksville as a community education director, educating the community on mental health issues.
She has also authored a book, “Turning Tragedy into Hope”, in an effort to help others who have had to cope with the loss of loved ones to suicide.
Johnson lost her 20-year-old son, Brandon, to suicide on Sept. 11, 2009. The tragedy spurred her to find the courage to write a book, and she began working with Tennessee Suicide Prevention as a volunteer.
Everyone is encouraged to visit the TSPN website at http://www.change.org/petitions/pledge-to-prevent-suicide-in-tennessee, sign the petition, and become more educated about suicide prevention.