She Lost Her Mom and Her Dad in One Night. Then the Family She’d Never Met Stepped In to Save Her

“I honestly was thinking I was going to have to get a job and take care of my siblings.”

That’s how Aleisha Brown, now 20, remembers the devastating aftermath of her mother’s murder on September 30, 2020, when she was just 15.

Her mother, Shawntae Brown, was killed by her husband and high school sweetheart, Joshua Brown, who beat her to death over the course of 24 hours inside their Spencer, Oklahoma home.

At the time, Aleisha’s only concern was shielding her younger brother and sister — then 14 and 7 — from the violence erupting in the next room. As the fight intensified, she realized she wasn’t just protecting them anymore; she was trying to save her mother’s life.

Although she lost her mother that night and her father went to prison, Aleisha eventually found hope and healing through the family she barely knew — the one that stepped in to raise her and her siblings.

A Father’s Decline and a Daughter’s Courage

Aleisha says her father changed after returning from deployment in Afghanistan in 2016.

“He got paranoid, and he would have these episodes. What happened that night was one of them — he got triggered and thought he was right,” she recalls.

As Joshua grew increasingly violent, Aleisha focused on keeping her little sister distracted — putting on movies and games to drown out the chaos. But despite her efforts, the violence escalated. Shawntae, slipping in and out of consciousness, was eventually instructed by Joshua to take a bath. When Aleisha saw that her mother wasn’t breathing, she pulled her from the tub and began CPR — something she’d learned by watching YouTube videos.

Her father’s anger turned to panic as Aleisha tried to revive her mother. “He told me to call 911 and lie — to say she overdosed,” she says.

Emergency responders arrived quickly, but it was too late. Shawntae took her final breaths in her daughter’s arms.

Suddenly Orphaned

After Joshua’s arrest, Aleisha realized she and her siblings had no parents — and nowhere to go. Years of estrangement had left them disconnected from extended family.

Her parents’ past trauma had caused deep rifts, especially between Shawntae and her siblings. “They didn’t even know my mom had another child,” Aleisha says. “I only knew them through pictures and stories.”

In a remarkable act of love, Aleisha’s aunt and cousin stepped in immediately. The children were taken in that same day, never entering the foster system. Eventually, their cousin Candice — Shawntae’s chosen godmother — and her husband Joe adopted them.

“We lived with them until I moved out a year ago,” Aleisha says. “My brother just moved out too. My little sister still lives with Candice and Joe — she even took their last name. That’s the biggest blessing. My family is the reason I’m here today.”

Finding Strength Through Love

Aleisha says the tragedy brought her closer to her extended family and her community.

“Something like this can make or break you,” she reflects. “We’re not letting it break us. Our family — and even family friends — have shown us so much love. People who went to school with my mom, even people who knew my dad but don’t speak to him anymore, still check in on us.”

She believes the greatest gift from such loss has been the newfound family bonds. “It could have torn us apart, but instead, it brought us together,” she says.

Living Her Mother’s Dream

Now a student at Rose State College in Oklahoma, Aleisha is majoring in mass communications — fulfilling a dream her mother always had for her.

“Going to college was something my mom wanted for me,” she says. “Getting an education was her priority.”

Although she hasn’t spoken to her father, she says she holds no hatred. “My mother wouldn’t want me to be angry. She’s the reason I’m so forgiving and loving.”

Aleisha prefers not to be seen as a victim. Instead, she focuses on gratitude — for her siblings’ well-being, her education, and the family that held her up when her world fell apart.

“I’m just beyond grateful and blessed for everything that has come out of this situation,” she says. “As awful as it was, love and family came out stronger than anything else.”