Building a Life After Loss

Going from profound grief to a grooming career helped one graduate-turned-instructor believe in herself again

BY BARB PRUITT

Despair is a thief that robs you of all hope. Christina Johnson’s hope was stolen in 2017 with the loss of her young son and then her marriage, the latter of which had devolved into violence in the fog of unthinkable grief.

As painful as it is, grief is a normal human response to loss. But when the agony of losing a child is mixed with the trauma of domestic abuse, you have a recipe for overwhelming despair. That was the state Christina was in when she came to Pawsperity as a student in 2018. It was, in her words, “the darkest time of my life.”

For nine years before that, Christina had been a stay-at-home mom living what seemed like a charmed white-picketfenced life, even in the midst of raising three special-needs children and adopting a nephew in need. The death of her youngest child changed things.

“We were doing okay until Logan died at the age of 6,” Christina said. “My husband lost his faith, and we separated.”

Logan was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a congenital birth defect that affects the normal blood flow through the heart. His short life consisted of a slew of doctor visits. He had 15 surgeries, including three open-heart procedures – the first one when he was just 9 days old.

Caring for Logan called for Christina to take on the work of a nurse “without the training,” she would say. She learned to manage his extensive medical care very well and worked hard to give him the best life possible. But to hear Christina tell it, Logan was the one enriching her life. “He was the happiest guy I ever met,” Christina said. “He taught me a lot about life. I would think, what do I have to complain about?”

Eventually, a massive seizure, common for people with heart defects, ended Logan’s life. Losing Logan was too much for Christina’s husband to bear. He became violent and stopped providing financial support.

“I was alone the first year Logan was gone,” Christina said. “I lost a family unit that I had counted on – his parents. I lost my marriage and hope for the future. I had to figure it out on my own.”

Finding Purpose

Christina started her training at Pawsperity in mid-2018. Grieving her catastrophic losses and learning a professional skill at the same time might seem like too much, but for Christina, her training was a welcome diversion and led her to a surprising path of healing.

“I learned how to grieve for two things at once and regulate my emotions,” she said. “Pawsperity gave me a purpose and steered me in a direction I never thought I would go. It reminded me of the confidence I used to have.” though she had provided life-saving medical care to Logan for years, she now lacked the confidence to take care of anyone. She needed that confidence back. She still had three children at home to care for, and each one had challenges.

And then Pawsperity staff showed they believed in her.

“They trusted me to care for someone’s dog,” Christina said. “That’s a big deal. They taught me to play to my strengths. They taught me how to take constructive criticism.”

The trust paid off. Today, Christina is an experienced groomer and teaches Pawsperity students the art of customer service.

More importantly, Christina’s children are thriving. Her 13-year-old daughter Savannah was diagnosed with precocious puberty at the age of two. Savannah is now healthy, even though she still has a little catching up to do socially after a setback following the death of her little brother. Tommy, Christina’s oldest, is autistic and was nonverbal until he was 6. Now at 14, Christina says you can hardly detect his autism. And the 9-year-old nephew she adopted the year Logan died now lives with his mother, Christina’s sister. Although Christina maintains legal responsibility for him, her sister is in the process of adopting him back. Christina and her sister spent the past 2 ½ years navigating their way through their respective painful circumstances to now share in Conner’s upbringing.

“I can relate to the students and give them a window into their future of the hope that can come into their lives,” Christina said. “I get to see them transform. I love getting to pour into the students, and of course, getting to be around dogs is a bonus.”

Christina Johnson, a grooming instructor, poses with a regular client, Gus, a Briard.

Christina teaches a student how to check-in a client during her customer service training session.

Teaching Service

It’s well-documented that dogs are proven stress relievers but working with people isn’t always as pleasant. Learning good customer service skills is a business necessity for any groomer, and Christina’s grooming experience, plus her own training at Pawsperity, has made her a skilled instructor since 2020.

Customer service training is especially challenging for Pawsperity students who are juggling court and childcare issues, among other stressors. “Many of them start out guarded and don’t trust anyone. That’s the opposite of how to be with customers,” said Christina. “It’s not easy to gracefully deal with emotions, such as an upset customer. We want to set up the students for success and expose them to all parts of the work.”

Christina reminds her students of their mindfulness training to help them stay in the moment, and she teaches them a range of techniques that can raise the quality of service, such as how answering the phone with a smile can make a big difference.

“I hired Christina because she’s been there; I trust her and depend on her,” said Lacey Adair, Director of Grooming at Pawsperity. “Working with clientele is important. She’s patient, kind, and loving.”

Spreading Hope

Hope is the opposite of despair; so is joy. Two qualities Christina now has an abundance of.

“Being an instructor feels amazing,” Christina said. “I feel blessed and honored to be part of something bigger than myself. It gives me a rare opportunity to help.”

The woman who came to Pawsperity devoid of any hope is now being restored daily by giving hope back. “I can relate to the students and give them a window into their future of the hope that can come into their lives,” Christina said. “I get to see them transform. I love getting to pour into the students, and of course, getting to be around dogs is a bonus.”

Christina credits Pawsperity and her faith for where she is today. In addition to being a grooming instructor and mom, she’s a worship leader in her church and sings in a Christian rock band.

Hope gives rise to dreams, and Christina has many. They all involve giving back.

“I’m excited to do more individual training with the students and share the knowledge I have with them,” she said. “I’m most excited to make this my career and hopefully make a difference.”