Help Molly & Family Through Her ALS Journey
Molly Johnson is a passionate educator, wife and mother, and devoted member of her community. She has recently been diagnosed with ALS, which has taken away her mobility and crippled her family financially. She is asking for support back from her community in this time of need.
First and foremost, Molly is an educator. She loves her students, and is at her happiest when she gets to work with and connect with her kids. Kids always come first, and Molly will do whatever, wherever she is needed. She has been a part of the faculty at Val Vista Lakes Elementary, Greenfield Elementary, Towne Meadows Elementary, Islands Elementary, and Playa del Ray Elementary, where she has been a cafeteria worker, teacher's aid, para educator, and SPED teacher.
Molly is also an active member of New Hope Community Church. For the past decade, she has done what she can to be there for her church community by acting as a greeter before services, participating in a prayer group called Care Ministry, and participating in a number of other church groups and activities. New Hope Community Church has been incredibly supportive following her diagnosis, offering kind words, prayers and even helping Molly and her family move into a first-floor apartment.
During quarantine, Molly endeavored to be more healthy and more active. She changed her diet, started exercising and even lost 80 pounds! However, at the start of the year, she started losing strength in one of her arms. What began with a weak grip, quickly spread to the rest of her limbs. Within 4 months, she has lost almost all mobility and has been left bedridden. Many tests were conducted to diagnose the cause of the degeneration. After everything else was ruled out, what Molly feared most became her reality. She had been diagnosed with ALS.
This rapid progression of symptoms took away her ability to work effectively, and Molly was forced to leave her students and coworkers part way through the school year. Despite the growing adversity, her coworkers have been a beacon of light and love in their support for Molly during this process. Before and during COVID-19, Molly was the primary earner of the household. Furthermore, her husband, Duane, has had to stop working in order to help and support Molly as her mobility declined. This has greatly reduced their income, and budget for rent, food, and medical expenses.
Molly’s goal is to ease her financial burden on her family. The target amount of this go fund me will cover rent, utilities and food for the year. While it is not the primary focus, she would also like to get a vehicle with wheelchair accommodations, without which Molly will not be able to leave the house.
Although it has been a difficult road so far, Molly has maintained a positive outlook and strives to make the most of the time she has left. She hopes to spend as much time with her family and loved ones as she can.
Any help, big or small, would be greatly appreciated.
