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Jody Arlington on Trauma, Tragedy and Survival

More than 20 years ago, Jody Arlington was at home when her 18-year-old brother murdered their parents and younger sister. She thought she was next, but instead her brother told her they were now free. He went to prison, and Arlington changed her name and had to learn how to live without her family.

In June of this year, Arlington wrote an Op-Ed piece for the Washington Post about her experience. She was moved to do so after hearing the news of an 18-year-old Ohio boy who shot and killed members of his family and then himself; only his sister survived.

Arlington is a former vice president of the public relations firm Fleishman-Hillard and the former chief of staff for President Clinton's National Campaign Against Youth Violence. She is now a communications consultant in the arts.

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