Near Atlanta — Cheryl Johnson and her TNT sportscaster husband Ernie say they have had a blessed life, thanks in no small part to a decision they made in 1991.
Then the Johnsons adopted Michael, a little boy from a Romanian orphanage, and brought him home to Atlanta. Michael was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, an incurable disease, after arriving in the US
He also developed a rare, feverish passion for car keys and key fobs.
“He held them on his lap and he just wanted different ones on different days,” Cheryl said. “And when he got sicker and was on a ventilator, he even talked about the car that Jesus drives. And if you want to know, Jesus drives a red Silverado.”
In October 2021, Michael died at the age of 33as he left the world in that bright red Chevy, leaving his parents on the side of the road, photos in hand and that extensive collection they have cherished.
“I know it wasn’t him, but he held them, he loved them,” Cheryl said.
And Ernie and Cheryl planned to keep that quirky collection forever.
“Because I need that memory,” Ernie said.
That is, until last month, on the third anniversary of Michael’s death, when Cheryl saw a Facebook post from another mom in the neighborhood who was looking for “car keys and key chains” for her son who “VERY likes to collect.”
Brittany and John Kivett’s six-year-old son Cooper has a developmental disorder called Williams syndrome and about a few dozen key fobs.
“They are something special to him,” John said.
“Because you can’t just go to the store and buy that,” Brittany added.
John and Brittany were hoping for a keychain or two for Cooper’s birthday. But that’s not what they got.
“I just couldn’t even believe it,” Brittany said.
Michael’s collection, which was so near and dear to his parents, suddenly felt like it was no longer theirs at all.
“I know this is Michael wanting Cooper to have them,” Cheryl said.
There is no right way to grieve a child. But for the Johnsons, giving to others was key.
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