Michael Johnson, or "Mike", is a dedicated father, grandfather, and overall amazing person who has spent the last 40 years serving others as a police officer. Throughout his long career, Mike has been known for his unwavering commitment to protecting and helping others, earning the respect and admiration of everyone around him. Outside of his career, Mike is a proud father of two adult children, Brittanni and Jill and a loving grandfather to several grandchildren. His kindness, generosity, and sense of humor have made him a cherished figure to his family, friends, and colleagues alike.
In January of 2020, Mike was diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Unfortunately, Mike’s health has recently taken a serious turn, and he is now in need of a double lung transplant—a procedure that is both critical and costly. Despite the challenges ahead, Mike remains hopeful and determined, just as he has always been throughout his life. As a man who has spent his career giving to others, it’s now our turn to support him during this difficult time. Please consider contributing to his fundraiser to help cover the expenses of his surgery and recovery. Every donation will make a difference and bring us one step closer to helping Mike continue his journey and be there for his family for many more years to come.
At the suggestion of Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, the location where Mike will be having his double lung transplant, we are hoping to fund raise enough to cover the costs of several different things- the transplant itself (out of pocket pay) being the largest amount. After the surgery, Mike will be out of work for a minimum of three months where he will need at least one caregiver present with him 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Provided by the medical center, the following list provides some other things this money will help with:
transportation to and from appointments and rehabilitation therapy programs
medical co-pays
housing and household expenses
loss wages for patient
loss wages for caregivers
food costs
Mike needs to raise a minimum of $25,000 to contribute to his surgery and other related expenses. To help with this, his family and friends are putting together various fundraisers. This section will be updated as fundraisers and events become available. As of now, you can help by:
Donating to our GoFundMe through this link: Https://gofund.me/ba36c387
Attending our benefit - please check the drop down menu (top left of this page) for more info!
Purchasing a raffle ticket - info also in the drop down menu!
As previously mentioned, Mike has two daughters and several grandchildren. In 2021, Mike tragically lost his wife, Michelle, who he misses dearly. He currently resides with her mother, Susan, and his oldest daughter Brittanni along with her husband and children. He recently walked his youngest daughter, Jill, down the aisle as she married her now husband. Mike looks forward to attaining a new quality of life so he can watch his grandchildren grow, his daughters succeed, and more.
As previously mentioned, Mike has dedicated himself over the last 40 years serving the community as a police officer. He has held various positions, trained hundreds of people, saved thousands of lives, and strives to keep our community safe. Currently, he is a deputy with Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office, where he has worked for the past 3.5 years. Aside from completing the duties of his position, Mike spends a lot of time teaching in various academies to help train future officers. His dedication to this role has earned him great admiration from his colleagues, classes, and the members of the community.
Mike previously lived in Tomball, TX where he served for the Harris County police department. In 2002, after neutralizing a subject involved in what was classified as "the worst shootout in Harris County history", Mike received a prestigious award from the State of Texas 100 Club Organization for being the "Hero of the Year". Throughout his career, Mike has received several accommodations and awards coming from citizens to even the chief of police. Mike was also invited onto one of the Oprah Winfrey show, along with the TV show "Dateline", both of which he humbly declined due to the ongoing investigation of the case they were interested in discussing.
More about Mike...
Jessica Roman, Mike's girlfriend/companion, has joined his family in supporting Mike through this process during the past 10 months. She has always been willing to help whether it be by joining along for appointments or by giving Mike a shoulder to lean on when needed. Her help and support has been very appreciated during this time!
Acknowledgements
We would like to sincerely thank the following people for helping establish the various fundraisers necessary for Mike to have a successful transplant:
Deputy James Sparacello and the Delta Seven Motorcycle Club
Brothers LA Arms
Ponchatoula Lion's Club
Kim Wright
Jessica Roman
Jillian Autin
Brittanni Stewart