Strangers Raise Over Rs 2 Crore To Help 81-Year-Old Texas Delivery Driver

Thousands of strangers in the United States came forward and raised $250,000 (around Rs 2.1 crore) to help an 81-year-old delivery driver who had been working 14-hour days just to cover his wife's medical bills. According to the New York Post, Don Johnson from the Dallas-Fort Worth area took a delivery job to keep up with the growing treatment costs and other expenses. As per reports, his wife is battling an aggressive form of cancer.

Despite his age, Johnson opted for long shifts and often delivered late at night. His story went viral on social media after a video showed him struggling while carrying heavy bags on the stairs. The heartbreaking home security footage was captured when he was returning luggage to a customer named Erin Howell, who eventually shared his story. The suicases were were lost from a recent flight.

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"The other day, my door cam caught an 81-year-old man slowly and painstakingly carrying my heavy luggage that had been lost on a recent flight up a steep flight of stairs. He looked absolutely exhausted, and his steps were heavy with effort," Howell wrote on GoFundMe. "It completely broke my heart to see a man of his age doing such intense, gruelling physical labour. The reality is that he isn't working by choice; he is working for survival."

Howell spoke to Johnson, who told him that "it's the only job that will hire me".

While speaking to NBC5 Dallas-Fort Worth, Johnson said, "With the increase in groceries and expenses and everything, we were just getting by."

"I tried Amazon and Walmart and other places. It was either not the right moment, or they just passed on me," he added.

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But finally, he can take a step back.

After his story was shared online and a GoFundMe campaign was launched, thousands of people contributed, raising nearly $250,000. For Johnson, the unexpected outpouring of support means he could now take some rest and focus on important things.

He reportedly said that the money will go toward paying off accumulated medical bills and setting aside funds for his wife's ongoing care.

"I think I'm going to be able to stop working, and that's amazing," he told KDFW. "So we're not quite totally over the hump yet, but we're getting there very quickly.