Help Us Care for Our Beloved Mom, Liz Johnson
Our mom, Liz Johnson, has always been a light — sharp-witted, deeply caring, and full of dry humor that caught you off guard in the best way. As an AP English teacher for many years, she shaped young minds with passion and challenged her students (and her children!) to think critically, laugh often, and write with purpose. She raised us with love, strength, and an unwavering belief in doing what’s right — even when it was hard.
Today, it’s our turn to fight for her.
Liz has been battling Alzheimer’s for the past five years — formally diagnosed two years ago. As her disease progresses, we’ve watched her brilliant mind fade in ways that are painful to describe. She now suffers from severe mental decline, intense nighttime agitation, a sharply reduced appetite, and osteoporosis that has led to dangerous falls and broken bones.
We’ve tried placing her in memory care facilities, but we keep hitting painful dead ends. The options fall into two categories:
Too little care for too high a cost, or facilities unprepared to handle the level of attention and oversight she needs.
At this stage, in-home care is not just the best option — it’s the only one that maintains her dignity and provides the level of attentiveness she requires. But it comes at a tremendous financial cost.
Our father, who still works full-time, is also her primary caregiver — overseeing a patchwork of in-home aides and managing her care day and night. It’s unsustainable, and we’re running out of options. Medicaid was once a hope, but with recent funding cuts, even that door appears to be closing.
We are reaching out, as her children, to ask for help.
Your donations would directly fund continued in-home care — care that allows Liz to stay in familiar surroundings, experience more peace, and receive the compassionate, round-the-clock attention she deserves.
We’re heartbroken watching her spark fade — a little more each week. But in the moments where she smiles, or says something surprisingly “her,” we’re reminded of all the life that still lives inside. We just want to preserve that — as long as we can.
If you can give — any amount — it would mean the world to our family. If you can’t give, please share this with someone who might. Your generosity helps us honor the incredible woman who gave us everything.
With love and hope,
The Johnson Family
