Margaret Jefferson Lost Her Toddler to Domestic Violence — Now She Fights to Save Lives 

Margaret Jefferson is the author of A Heart That Will Never Heal, a book drawn from her harrowing experience of surviving a stabbing by the father of her only child, 3-year-old Javion, who was later killed by his father.

Today, Jefferson channels her pain into purpose, educating young people about domestic violence and the warning signs she once missed. She shared her story with The Culture after speaking at Chicago’s Youth Summit on Oct. 18 at Intentional Sports, 1841 N. Laramie Ave. The event was hosted by 37th Ward Ald. Emma Mitts and Latonya Mitts, a candidate for the 8th District Illinois House seat currently held by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford.

The first time he hit me, he punched me and blacked my eye. I told myself I was done, but then I found out I was pregnant. And when you’re 20 and pregnant, you start asking yourself, ‘Do I really want to send the father of my child to jail? Can I fix this?’ 

I met him when I was 19, and at first, everything seemed fine. But after that first time, things started to change. People say, “Just leave,” but it’s more mental than that. It messes with your mind. You start to believe the lies. You think you can change him. And when your friends are going through their own things, it starts to feel normal. But it’s not.

We were together for five years. There’d be the honeymoon phase, the apologies, and then the violence again. I didn’t understand that abuse could take so many forms — emotional, financial, verbal, even spiritual. It wasn’t just the hitting. It was control.

In 2011, everything ended. He raped me and stabbed me five times inside an apartment in Austin. I remember crawling to the window, bleeding, trying to yell for help. I fell from the second floor into the street. I was naked, disoriented, and couldn’t get back inside because the steel door had locked behind me.

An off-duty police officer stopped to help, and I was taken to the hospital. That’s where I learned my son, Javion, was gone. 

Healing has taken years — therapy, prayer, and meditation. I know now that God left me here for a reason, and that’s to be a voice for others. To let people know they can get out before it’s too late.

I wrote my book, “A Heart That Will Never Heal,” because I wanted to leave something behind that could make an impact. I wanted people to understand what domestic violence looks like — and that it’s not just happening to women. It happens to men, too.

Today, I educate young people about the signs I missed, about how love isn’t supposed to hurt. I tell them, ‘If something feels off, it probably is. You don’t have to wait until it’s too late.’ 

My son isn’t here physically, but he’s always in my heart. That’s a heart that will never fully heal — but it still beats for a purpose. 

Learn more about Margaret Jefferson here.