She later became a pro-life advocate and founded an organization called "And Then There Were None" to help abortion workers find the information, support and funds to leave the abortion business.
The group offers emotional support and arranges for counseling, because "these workers have seen and participated in things the general public wouldn't be able to stomach," Johnson explained. In addition, spiritual care from one's religious tradition can be arranged for those who want it.
The organization is also able to provide pro-bono legal assistance through its partnership with legal firm Alliance Defending Freedom for individuals who are prosecuted by the abortion clinics. Since the ministry's start last June, 47 abortion clinic workers have left the abortion industry with Johnson's help.
"We've had amazing success through our ministry," she said, "and we just kind of thought - maybe if we could get a day where we asked people to just pick up and leave the abortion industry...it would at least be good exposure to let clinic workers know that there is a resource for them."
The name "Exodus 2013" was initially chosen simply to suggest a large number of people leaving the abortion industry in 2013, Johnson explained, and the date of the event was picked purely at random.
Later, however, Johnson realized that April 8 would be the celebration of the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, which was moved in the Catholic liturgical calendar from its normal date of March 25 due to Holy Week and the Octave of Easter. The Catholic feast day celebrates the announcement of the archangel Gabriel to Mary that she was to conceive Jesus by the Holy Spirit.