An elderly Texas man has gone viral after he was filmed struggling to carry heavy bags up a flight of stairs as part of his job to pay the medical bills while his wife battles cancer — before kind strangers helped raise nearly $250K.
Don Johnson was seen returning luggage Erin Howell lost from a recent flight, catching the Dallas-Fort Worth area resident by surprise when she noticed the 81-year-old delivery man, according to heartbreaking home security footage.
“The other day, my door cam caught an 81-year-old man slowly and painstakingly carrying my heavy luggage that had been lost on a recent flight up a steep flight of stairs. He looked absolutely exhausted, and his steps were heavy with effort,” Howell wrote on GoFundMe. “It completely broke my heart to see a man of his age doing such intense, grueling physical labor.
“The reality is that he isn’t working by choice; he is working for survival,” Howell added.
Johnson has been working as an independent contractor delivering the luggage to rightful owners’ homes for three years after his wife, Josephine, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
The couple, who have been married for 57 years, moved in with their daughter, which helped somewhat in the severe battle with the disease.
However, Johnson soon became overwhelmed with rising medical bills and prescription costs and decided he needed to pick up work to make “ends meet.”
“It’s the only job that will hire me,” Johnson told Howell.
“With the increase in groceries and expenses and everything, we were just getting by,” Johnson told NBC5 Dallas-Fort Worth. “I tried Amazon and Walmart and other places. It was either not the right moment, or they just passed on me.”
Johnson has regularly worked 14-hour days for extra cash — even at his advanced age.
The demanding job forced Johnson to drive hundreds of miles a day, totaling over 200,000 miles on his car, leading to major mechanical issues on his vehicle.
“At an age when he should be resting and spending every precious single moment by his wife’s side, he is out on the road lifting heavy bags just to keep her alive and cared for,” Howell said.
The thoughtful customer turned community leader set up the fundraiser for Johnson after watching the heartbreaking video back.
“He shouldn’t have to carry this crushing financial and physical weight all by himself anymore,” she said. “Every single dollar raised from this campaign will go directly to helping them survive this crisis.”
The crowdfunding campaign has raised over $244,000 of the $300,000 goal since it was launched on Sept. 2.
Johnson was grateful for Howell’s thoughtful gesture and plans to make good use of the financial help.
“I think I’m going to be able to stop working, and that’s amazing,” he told KDFW. “So we’re not quite totally over the hump yet, but we’re getting there very quickly.
Josephine has seen hope in her battle following the donations and messages sent to her.
“I can face it. I think that’s the big difference,” Josephine said. “Some have made comments and they’re praying for us. And it’s just, it’s a joyful feeling.”
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