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.
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. When the name on the page was updated, GoFundMe treated it as a discrepancy. It added, “He looked absolutely exhausted, and his steps were heavy with effort. The money raised was meant to go toward medical bills so Donald could support her. The bills are high. 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. She added, “That was it. We didn’t know it was a problem.
Donald’s wife is Josephine Johnson, and the couple has been married for 57 years. My dad is 81 and still works delivering luggage so they can stay afloat. Because she believed her father’s story would connect with more people if it seemed to come from a stranger, amy told GoFundMe she invented the fake identity. Because it was already established and we thought that would be the simplest way, speaking on GiveSendGo Amy said, “That page was originally set up on my account. Because it was a real account, and so, we all decided that using my GoFundMe was a good idea, just. Because someone wanted to do something out of pure kindness, but wanted to remain anonymous,” as per NBC News, i have to come out.
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. On GiveSendGo, their daughter said, “My mom has pancreatic cancer. The fundraising page was set up by someone identifying herself as a “concerned neighbor” named Erin Howell, according to The Independent. But during a recorded call, “Erin” turned out to be Amy, the Johnsons’ real daughter. 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.
Here is everything we know about him. He began working as an independent contractor three years ago to support his wife through her cancer battle. The family has since moved their fundraiser to GiveSendGo .
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. 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. The campaign had raised nearly $290,000 before it was taken down. As of 7:09 pm ET September 28, the GiveSendGo page has raised over $59,000. Earlier reporting noted: Why did GoFundMe shut down the viral Texas fundraiser for 81-year-old man Donald Johnson? GoFundMe has removed a viral fundraiser created for an 81-year-old Texas man who was reportedly working to support his wife’s cancer treatment. Earlier reporting noted: US 81-year-old viral delivery driver’s $700K fundraiser for wife’s cancer treatment pulled after discovering daughter posed as neighbour to raise money Donald Johnson
The platform has now confirmed that it found “factual misrepresentations” in the campaign and has since removed it. Earlier reporting noted: According to Howell’s fundraiser description, Johnson took the physically demanding job to help cover expenses related to his wife Josephine’s cancer treatment.
