CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP/WMOT) — A Middle Tennessee woman is leading the charge to get 10,000 signatures on a suicide prevention petition.
Clarksville resident Cindy Johnson founded and leads the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network's advisory council for Houston, Stewart, Humphreys and Montgomery counties. Johnson and the council are urging people to sign a "Pledge to Prevent Suicide." She hopes to motivate people to actively seek a way to reverse the number of suicides in the state.
For Johnson, the fight is personal.
“My reason for being so involved in this and my desire to do this was because I actually lost my 20 year old son Brandon back in September of 2009. He was actually a MTSU student.”
Johnson says the petition will be presented at a Suicide Prevention Awareness event on Sept. 12 in Nashville and may also be presented to the Tennessee General Assembly to support policies that aim to prevent suicide and promote mental wellness.