A viral GoFundMe campaign for Texas couple Donald and Josephine Johnson has been shut down after GoFundMe said it found “factual misrepresentations” in the fundraiser.
The campaign raised nearly $290,000 before it was removed. It was created after 81-year-old Donald Johnson went viral for carrying heavy luggage up a flight of stairs while working to help pay for his wife's cancer treatment. Here is everything we know about him.
Who is Donald Johnson?
As per NBC News, Donald Johnson is an 81-year-old man from Texas who went viral after he was seen working a tough job to pay for his wife's cancer treatment. He began working as an independent contractor three years ago to support his wife through her cancer battle.
As per The Independent, the original GoFundMe page said a neighbor spotted him on a doorbell camera “slowly and painstakingly carrying my heavy luggage that had been lost on a recent flight up a steep flight of stairs.” It added, “He looked absolutely exhausted, and his steps were heavy with effort.”
When asked why he was working such a demanding job at his age, Johnson said his wife was fighting cancer and this was the only job he could find to cover the hospital bills.
{{/usCountry}}When asked why he was working such a demanding job at his age, Johnson said his wife was fighting cancer and this was the only job he could find to cover the hospital bills.
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Who is his wife, Josephine?
Donald's wife is Josephine Johnson, and the couple has been married for 57 years.
The money raised was meant to go toward medical bills so Donald could support her. On GiveSendGo, their daughter said, “My mom has pancreatic cancer. The bills are high. My dad is 81 and still works delivering luggage so they can stay afloat.”
Who is his daughter and why was the page taken down?
According to The Independent, the fundraising page was set up by someone identifying herself as a "concerned neighbor" named Erin Howell. But during a recorded call, "Erin" turned out to be Amy, the Johnsons' real daughter. Amy told GoFundMe she invented the fake identity because she believed her father's story would connect with more people if it seemed to come from a stranger.
GoFundMe investigators called the organizer, who admitted she was the Johnsons' daughter, that she had filmed the viral video herself, and that the "concerned stranger" persona was made up. She said the rest of the story was still true.
Speaking on GiveSendGo Amy said, “That page was originally set up on my account because it was already established and we thought that would be the simplest way. When the name on the page was updated, GoFundMe treated it as a discrepancy. We offered documentation. They refunded the donations anyway.”
In a TikTok video, Amy explained, "We got an email from a neighbor who sent us a DoorCam video and who wanted to stay anonymous, but wanted to help. And so, we all decided that using my GoFundMe was a good idea, just because it was a real account." She added, “That was it. We didn't know it was a problem. I have to come out because someone wanted to do something out of pure kindness, but wanted to remain anonymous,” as per NBC News.
The campaign had raised nearly $290,000 before it was taken down.
The family has since moved their fundraiser to GiveSendGo. As of 7:09 pm ET September 28, the GiveSendGo page has raised over $59,000.