An 81-year-old Texas man who received more than $700,000 in donations after a video showed him working as a delivery driver to help cover his wife’s cancer treatment costs has had his fundraiser removed after it emerged that his daughter created the campaign.
Donald Johnson’s crowdfunding appeal was taken down by GoFundMe after the platform found what it described as “factual misrepresentations,” NewsNation reported.
The fundraiser was initially presented as the work of a neighbor named Erin Howell. However, the outlet reported that the account was actually operated by Johnson’s daughter.
GoFundMe said it received a tip last week raising questions about the identity of the campaign organizer.
The platform then contacted the woman directly and asked whether Donald and his wife, Josephine, who is battling cancer, were her parents. She confirmed that they were.
Johnson’s daughter told GoFundMe that she invented the Erin identity because she thought her parents’ circumstances would resonate more strongly with donors if the story appeared to come from a stranger.
She also said she recorded her father delivering lost luggage herself and insisted that the remaining details in the campaign were accurate.
GoFundMe said: “Our Trust & Safety team identified factual misrepresentations, which directly violate our Terms of Service.
“As a result, the fundraiser has been removed and all donors have been refunded. Ensuring GoFundMe remains a safe and trusted place to give and receive help is our top priority. Taking action in cases like this enables GoFundMe to protect donors.”
Donald Johnson raised $700,000 in donations after videos of him went viral, but GoFundMe removed his campaign after identifying what it called “factual misrepresentations.”
Videos showed the 81-year-old delivering luggage to help pay for his wife’s medical bills.
In the fundraiser’s original post, Erin wrote: “The other day, I looked out [my] door cam and saw an 81-year-old man slowly and painstakingly carrying my heavy luggage, which had been lost on a recent flight, up a steep flight of stairs.
“He looked completely exhausted, and every step appeared to take enormous effort.
“It broke my heart to see a man his age performing such intense, grueling physical labor, so I opened my door, introduced myself and offered to help.”
According to the post, Donald told Erin that he had been returning lost luggage for three years. He had reportedly driven 200,000 miles for the work, leaving his aging car increasingly unreliable.
He reportedly told her: “It’s the only job that will hire me.”
Erin wrote: “The reality is that he isn’t working by choice; he is working to survive. His beloved wife of 57 years, Josephine, is facing a severe battle with cancer.
“Mounting medical bills, ongoing treatments, costly prescription drugs and basic living expenses have left them overwhelmed.
“At an age when he should be resting and spending every precious moment at his wife’s side, he is still on the road lifting heavy bags to keep her alive and ensure she receives the care she needs.”
The 81-year-old appeared with his wife, Josephine, in a Fox 4 interview after footage of him struggling with luggage went viral.
The page described Donald as a ‘deeply proud, selfless, and dedicated husband’ as she urged the wider community to rally round.
‘He shouldn’t have to carry this crushing financial and physical weight all by himself anymore,’ it read.
Donald later sat down with Fox 4, accompanied by his wife, and said: ‘I think I’m going to be able to stop working, and that’s amazing.
‘So we’re not quite totally over the hump yet, but we’re getting there very quickly.’
Also speaking with gratitude about the community rallying around, Josephine added: ‘I can face it. I think that’s the big difference.
‘Some have made comments and they’re praying for us. And it’s just, it’s a joyful feeling.’
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