Welcome to the Deputy Tim Johnson blog. Its purpose is to keep you updated on Tim's condition, as well as allowing you to post your thoughts, prayers and well wishes while Tim recovers.
Tim is doing great! He is opening his eyes, yet not out of his coma though. But he is definately in the stages of waking up! He is off of life support and breathing on his own! Thank GOD!
I am so glad to hear all of the positive updates on Tim's condition. He has been in my prayers constantly and Logan has been asking his preschool class to pray for "Officer Johnson" every day as well.
It's so encouraging to know he's opening his eyes. To all of the family, if there is anything at all that I can do to help please don't think twice about calling me. I am here and willing to do whatever I can for any of you.
First I want to say that my brother "Beav" is the best. Perhaps that is why he has so many people praying for him and encouraging us while we wait for his recovery. I want to say thank you to everyone for all of their support, donations, time,food,prayers, cards, etc..., but it seems that these days those two words are not nearly enough to cover how grateful we all are for EVERYTHING! We have been touched by the beauty of the human spirit, and for me it is extremely comforting and heartwarming. Please continue to pray for Tim, Erica and their children. Thank you for your support!
Today was another good day for Tim. He has a long road ahead of him, but he will always have our family to support him along the way! We all are so very thankful for everyone in the community and beyond! Tim has his family, his brotherhood family of the deputies he works along side with and the communty that have shown the true spirit of kindness! God Bless each and everyone of you! Keep up the prayers!
Tim continues to work hard and fight what has happened to him. He is a very strong man and will over come this tragedy some day. Sometimes it seems recovery is so far away, but I have faith that Gods time is the best thing for Tim. God is working in so many ways. We all are holding strong for Tim daily! We are by his side and are grateful for all of those of you that are there for us! God bless you all!
I am so very happy to hear of Tim's progress. My husband is a 2nd Shift Deputy (he was allowed to do a Media ride along that terrible day)....I feel whole heartedly for the family and am here for the entire Johnson family as well as the MCSO family! Way to go TIM...keep up the good work!
The Black and Blue Ball was last night and it was so touching all the people who love and concern for Tim! Thank you all for all you do. I just can't say that enough times. Erica thanks you, the Johnson family thanks you and if Tim were able to say it, I know he would be so very thankful to you all! Keep up the prayers. God Bless! Niki
I'm glad to hear that Tim is doing better.. Before you know it he will be moving around and back out out on the streets..
Tims accident was read at all Milwaukee Police Department roll calls and he has our support.. Get well soon and plan on me being at your fund raisers w/ money in hand..
I'm excited that Tim is off the life support and breathing on his own. That was the best news to hear! Although I don't know Tim and Erica on a personal level, I know they have a great love for each other, and they will get through this - together. I missed the Black and Blue Ball lastnight as I had to work. I am going to try to make it to the Deputy Tim Johnson Benefit on February 18. My friend's band HAZMAT is playing (the bass player's brother is Deputy Alex Colon). Erica and the entire Johnson family - we are all praying for you and know this - we are ALWAYS here for you.
Tim continues to fight an awesome fight to come back to us. God is answering all our prayers daily!
(J.C. and all you guys who know who you are. You are all very special to my heart. You are awesome friends to Beav! I see this truely touches your hearts everytime I look in your eyes! Thanks for being there for him!)
I didn't get you text until late last night. I plan on going to see Tim on Fri. It's so awesome to hear hom much Tim has improved. I've only known Tim for Four years, but I know he's a fighter. I don't think it's ever been more apparent.
I am Joe, I am Michelle's student. I am very happy that Tim is getting better. God will help him, he always help nice person. I want to tell Tim, don't give up! You are a tough guy, like a superman. I will pray for you every night!!
Well, Tim is doing awesome. He is making so much progress. He is determined to leap out of this. He will be whole, no doubt! Soon! He has been recovering faster than anyone would have ever anticipated. It will still be a long road, but a much more joyous one than we thought we would be on. Keep up the prayers and encouraging words to Tim, His family, his wife and children and his friends. This keeps us going! Thank you all for everything. Tim is truely blessed with you all!
Too blessed to stress, to anointed to be dissappointed!
Everything in Gods time as I always say!
PS. Thank you Joe for writing in our blog. It is nice to know even Tims sister Michelle's students are so supportive of her during this time, she needs it! Keep up the good work and prayers Joe!
Tim is fighting the way you would expect him to do. He has made up his mind to get strong and once he makes up his mind, you know what that means. Everything Tim is challenged to do in therapy, he gives it his all! Keep up the prayers! Prayer is the strongest medicine that has brought Tim this far! And who knows, Tim may surprise us all and maybe Tim attend his event for a short moment on the 18th! That would be awesome! I will keep you posted! Niki
On behalf of the family, I would again like to thank every single one of you reading this right now, because you are here out of your genuine concern for Tim.
We can't say how much we appreciate everything you are doing to support his recovery. We know that it is because of all of you and your prayers that Tim is healing.
However, we have been asked to share this information with you from Tim's medical team. Right now in Tim's recovery it is imperative that he receive minimal stimulation to keep him from being so agitated. For those of you who have recently visited Tim, you probably have seen how extremely frustrated and agitated he is. The medical staff believes it is best for us to now limit his visitors to immediate family only. We realize this may be difficult for some of you, I know how difficult it is to be away. We have to realize that being at Tim's side all day and all night may not be the best for him right now. Believe me - I understand the desire to be with him. But, I know Tim feels all of our love and support, and we remind him of that each time we see him.
Tim is undergoing some very intense therapy right now, and it is best for him to save his energy and strength for that therapy. Until he gets past this stage of frustration and agitation, we appreciate your support and prayers "from a distance".
We will definitely keep you informed of his progress, and invite you to visit with us in the family and friends waiting area.
Hi, I am Pam (antmarta). I work with Erica. I have prayed so hard for Tim and the entire family for his recovery. I can't begin to tell you how extremely happy I am at reading your posts telling us how well Tim is doing. Tim is indeed a fighter and is showing his zest for life! In the beginning, I cried because of the horrible news, now I cry tears of joy because I know once again...he'll be back! Tim stay strong! The same to you Erica and family. I continue to pray and send all my best wishes to you. We will see you on the 18th!
One day at a time is what we have learned from the process we are now going through with Tim. Everyday brings different and sometimes very difficult challenges for Tim and us all. Tim has God on his side as he walks down this very long road to recovery. We as a family have faith that in the end of this journey, we can look back and see how much we have all grown as humans and as a family. We truely are greatful of all your support during this very difficult time in all of our lives and are surprised daily by it all. Every morning I wake up and remember that this is all real. Then I hop online to see what everyone has written to us all. It really makes my day for all the love I feel through your kind words. Keep it up!
Hi Niki and Kevin, I just wanted to let you know that my family and I are still praying for Tim and your family. I am encouraged to see how strong your faith is through this. Our Lord is mighty, and I pray that your family will embrace His love, and except the comfort that will only come from a relationship with Him. Love you!
Hi Niki and Kevin, It's Karolyn. Just wanted to let you know that we are still praying for Tim and your whole family. I'm touched to see how strong your faith is. You know that our Lord is mighty, and although this all seems to be too much, God has a plan. I pray that your family will embrace His awesome love and reach out to Him for the comfort that only He(God) can give. Love ya,
Michelle, You should be very proud of the way you are handling Tim's care. I never had the pleasure to meet you but from what I read, I can see Tim inherited his unique qualities. You handle it all so eloquently. Tim remains in my thoughts & prayers. Much love, Ms. Jock
Michelle, you are an awesome person! Protecting your brother in such a sophisticated way! I never had the privilege of meeting you but I knew Tim well. He spent many hours in our home. I can see he inherited his awesome personality. You should all be very, very proud of yourselves. Continue the good fight. We will keep praying. Sincerely Ms. Jock
It has been brought to my attention that some people assumed that my post on the 3rd of February made people think Tim would be going to the fundraiser on the 18TH. This is not the case. It would be a wonderful miracle if it would be possible, but I was just saying maybe Tim will surprise us all by really making a quick recovery. I was asked to clear that up for people who misunderstood the posting. Sorry. But still be hopeful and pray that he will make that quick recovery.
As for updates. People are also questioning why we are not giving full medical debriefings on this website. There are many reasons why. But just know that when we are at liberty to tell you more, we will. It is a hard thing to write, as people misunderstand things easily.
When we say Tim is doing awesome, that is our veiw of his progress since we saw him the first day of the accident. He has come an extremely long way since then. But he has an extremely long way to go also. Just keep in mind that brain injuries are so unpredictable. They can't tell us much of anything, since everyone with a brain injury is so different. Truely. One person with just slight trauma may never recover, and another with major trauma may recover almost fully. It is a day at a time for us all. We are hoping that someday Tim will recover fully from this tragedy. I truely believe he will. But we don't have the ability to say that he for sure will. The doctors can not tell us that. As much as we wish they could, they can't. But we keep up our faith and know that whatever happens, we love Tim, we will always be there for him, always by his side, and the same goes for Erica and the children. We are there for them always.
That being said. Tim seems to be much more settled down now that we have limited the stimulation he is receiving. That is what is important, that Tim does better. And he is. Know that. Have a wonderful night. Niki
After talking to Erica tonight, she mentioned a song she is calling "hers" right now. As soon as she named the song, I knew it immediately, and I couldn't agree with her more - it is perfect. The song is called "Life Ain't Always Beautiful" by Gary Allan.
Here's the lyrics:
Life ain't always beautiful Sometimes it's just plain hard Life can knock you down, it can break your heart
Life ain't always beautiful You think you're on your way And it's just a dead end road at the end of the day
But the struggle makes you stronger And the changes make you wise And happiness has it's own way of takin' it sweet time
[chorus] No,life aint always beautiful Tears will fall sometimes Life aint always beautiful But it's a beautiful ride
Life aint always beautiful Some days I miss your smile I get tired of walkin' all these lonely miles
And I wish for just one minute I could see your pretty face Guess I can dream, but life dont work that way
But the struggles makes me stronger And the changes make me wise And happiness has it's own way of takin' its sweet time
No, life aint always beautiful But I know I'll be fine Hey, life aint always beautiful But its a beautiful ride
Hi, I am Joe. I come from Taiwan. I heard the accident to Tim, I have written the note to Tim last week. I also want to tell Erica, you are a brave woman, and I really admire your brave. I heard that Tim is getting better, because you give him courage. By the way, my girl friend's name is Erica,too.
Hi everyone. This is Tim's brother, Kevin. We now have the raffle tickets. There are so, so many items that have been donated. Please show your support and purchase these tickets for your chance to win some of the great prizes. Remember all proceeds go to my brother and his family. You can contact the union office, Deputies Baker, Felber or myself. There are items for police officers only such as a Taser package or a point blank vest. There are items for both men and women as well as children. You may purchase them at the event also. I look forward to seeing everybody on February 18, 2007 at DOMINICS. Thank you, Kevin Johnson
I guess the best and most recent report I can give on Tim is this. He is spending alot of time sleeping the last day or so. Kevin and I were up there all morning, and well, let's just say we didn't get a chance to really visit him. His body is in the healing phase. That is the most important thing he can do right now. So, we are actually very happy. We are excited to see what comes next. Continue all the prayers please. They are definately working. God is awesome! Niki
Daily Tim surprises us all! He is coming back to us slowly. Slowly is the word I use because this type of recovery is unlike any other. It is not a bone that heals in 6 weeks. This is the most complex healing a body can do. But Tim is surprising staff and family alike all the time. He is truely a MIRACLE!
Our family continues to pray daily and have faith that god is working hard on Tim right now. God is so awesome and we are so very thankful to god for all he is doing.
Kevin got held over on his shift at work due to so many accidents and spin outs on the freeway-stupid drivers! But in a way it was good because he got a chance to go see Tim during the morning and got to see what he is like when he first wakes up and how much more alert he is at that hour. It was nice that Kevin got off work late so he could be there after work to see Tim. He was really happy when he got home! Kevin is so proud of Tim everyday!
We are so fortunate to have such support from you all. Tim will soon know what you have all done for him and his family. He will be very proud to say you are his friends!
Thank you all and we will see you all on Sunday at the event!
Tim is really giving his all daily. Therapy goes good for Tim. He fights an awesome fight daily to get well enough to come home. He is on this life changing journey right now and I know in the end, he will be a better and stronger man for what he has endured. He gets stronger physically and mentally daily. Keep up all the wonderful prayers. Please keep Erica, Griffin and Ava in your prayers too. This is Tim's own family and they need him back whole. Lift Tim up to God! He has a long way to go.
Hello all - I'm a cousin to Larry Johnson, so I suppose I'm a cousin to many of you! We have been praying hard for Tim's recovery. It's obvious that many of our prayers have been answered. Thank you so much for keeping us posted. One foot in front of the other and he will get there!
Super article in the Catholic Herald! Good luck with the fundraiser as well!
Just want to send my prayers to the whole Johnson family. I do not know any of you but I read about Tim's accident and story in the Catholic Herald Newspaper and will continue to pray for Tim and your family. What an amazing story. What a miracle to see how far he's come and the fact that the day he opened his eyes was on January 26, St. Timothy's Feast Day....how moving. God is truly amazing and I am so glad to hear you all are keeping your faith and staying together as a family. My thoughts and prayers are with you! I will continue to pray and watch for more updates on Tim.
I am very sorry your brother has had to endure this tradgedy and am glad he is doing well. I don't understand why you are having fundraisers for his medical bills and such. He was injured on the job so they are covered by workmans compensation and would also be eligible for salary benefits under workmans compensation. It makes me think that you are trying to use his tradgedy to solicit money for the family to pocket.
Thanks for your response in regards to the family turning my brother’s tragedy into a way to pocket money. I thought twice about responding, but thought I should in honor of all those who have been so willing to help support our brother and his family. Your response was one of the reasons we tried to stay away from the media right away, because sometimes, only a fraction of the real story is told. Perhaps you may have misunderstood, or only got part of what was said about the way the money will be used. You are correct – workman’s compensation will cover my brother’s medical bills, and a fraction of his salary, but it is our understanding that it will not last forever, that soon there will be some deals in the works to be sure he gets just the minimal amount of compensation. Afterall, he is no longer able to perform the job he did for the county, and we all know the county doesn’t have money in its budget for “frivolous” spending. You are correct also when you say he is doing “well”, but again the media doesn’t report on what is really meant by progress. Yes, he is walking and beginning to communicate, but if for one second you think you know what that progress really looks like – please think again. You commented on using the donated money for, “medical bills and such” – would it make you happier if you had an itemized list of what “such” is? Our brother has a very, very long, arduous road ahead of him. We have been told that we may not know his true potential until at least two years from now. Already Tim’s wife has had to step away from her job indefinitely. He has two small children, whom he believed he would have been able to provide for. Those provisions look completely different right now, as we have no real answers about his recovery. When he returns home, his wife will be completely responsible for his ongoing care - twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Again, we can provide you with that itemized list as time goes on. I appreciate your opinion, and concern for our taking advantage of the community, but nobody ever asked for any of this. I know his wife would give everything back and more, if she could just have her husband and father of her children back. When my brother’s accident first happened, it was a natural response for everyone to try to protect him from any further harm, including any financial burdens that would evolve. So, as you are able to hide behind your computer screen to slam my family and the community who supports him, my brother continues to fight to be at least half the man he used to be.
I simply could not belive my eye's in what you wrote...
The 1st thought that came to my mind was, welp, can't fix stupid. But that would be stooping to your level.
You have no clue as to how the world operates, your statement clearly shows a distinct ignorance to reality.
Why don't you go outside and look around once ???
This man was doing his job, he is a public servant. Being a public servant is a thankless job. The people who take on these jobs are Hero's in their own rights. Every day, they get up and go to work, Every day their loved ones and family hope that nothing bad will happen.
For these men and women who choose to be in the front lines (Police Officers , Firemen, Military etc...) Are doing their job to protect YOUR freedom, to make YOUR LIFE and FAMILY live in a SAFE environment.
They are there when you need them, they put others before themselves in order to help people they don't even know. They are put into high risk situations on a daily basis, to protect the public and to aid and assist others in need, no matter the size of the crisis, they will be there to help.
And each and every day that passes, these wonderful people get out of bed, and do the same thing the next day. You if you have a family, feel safe that your children (if you have any) can play in the park, or go to school and be safe. You don't think about these concerns because these people have always been there to help/protect/serve.
They are also held to a higher standard than a normal person. Higher Ethics and Morals both while working and while at home. Yes there have been some rotten apples in the public sector, but those eventually get rooted out and gotten rid of.
And you sit behind your computer, and you type out a statement that is extremely insulting to this poor family and this wonderful man who in risking his life to protect another, ended up almost dying for it.
Do you think that what the government will offer for support in funds will cover even 1/10th of what this man will need over the next few years ????? The answer is NO, I dare say how can you spew the statement you did without thinking of reality. Here was a man who has a family, who for awhile was considered that he was not going to make it. But he is a fighter, and he get's pass the critical part, but that's only the begining...........
He may never be able to perform or work as he once did, and at no fault of his own did this happen.
Will the government watch his kids, and take care of him during his long journey towards recovery ??? The answer is NO, it'd be nice if it was different, but this is reality here. SO WAKE UP !!!!
When you pick up your phone and dial 911 because there is an intruder in your home, you expect that you will get immediate attention and assistance. If your child is driving a car and gets in an accident and is injured, you EXPECT that he/she will be promptly saved and transported to a hospital.
It would be nice if for people like Tim, injured in the line of duty, were justly taken care of afterwards. But the sad reality and high cost's of health care and rehab means there is not a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It means there is not even a yellow brick road. It means this family is faced with a very hard and long journey and no, you don't get any free miles for this trip, it's going to be 1 step at a time, uphill, for a loooooooooooooong ways.
So Reddog, go crawl back into your kennel you mangy mutt, and the next time you need help, don't bother to call, since in my opinion people like you are so self centered and selfish, I am sure you can take care of whatever problems you have all by yourself. Why should society have one of their Hero's act on your behalf when you kick them when they are down ????
To Michelle, My family's heart goes out to you, we will pray for your brothers recovery and hope that he can make a full recovery someday. In reading your response to Reddog, you are very polite, you must be one hell of a woman to write what you did, so Honor and Faith must run strong within your family, for you have shown that you are like your brother, you put others before yourself and you took a hurtful post and had the guts to politely reply to this idiot. Kudo's to you and your family.
Tell Tim that another public servant here, wishes him the best, and that he is a true Hero, and that our family will always pray and keep him and your family in our thoughts every day.
I shudder to think what our great country would be like without Hero's like Tim.
God Bless you all who have shown your support in here, except for one, you mangy mutt, you know who you are.... Go back to your kennel and don't come out until you've learned to be humble and thankful for those people who put their lives at risk even for scum like you.
I think you owe this family one big apology for your idiotic comments... and even that barely covers your unbelievable statements. Or go hide behind your computer you coward.
Take care Michelle and Tim and all of your family. We know and understand and we care.
As far as Reddog goes, shame on you to question the two of them!
Anyone who knows my husband Kevin and my sister in law Michelle would never question their intentions, NEVER!
Our family has indured this tragedy together through God's blessing and strength! Unless you have been through something like this, you can't even imagine what is is like to walk into a very sterile hospital room and see a loved one with tubes coming from every location of their body, be in a deep coma, and fearing the worst for them. Would they make it through the night? If they do, will they remember their own children, wife and family? Will they walk and talk again? So many questions filled so many peoples mind. Every second watching monitors to try to see how they are.
Listening to the doctors on how things would most likely turn out in the next 24 hours, weeks, months, years.
Only by God's awesome blessing has Tim recovered as far as he has. He still has very long to go though. Very long! We started planning this benefit before we even knew if Tim would live or not. Had Tim died, would you have questioned the fundraiser then? Is it because he is recovering that you feel compelled to question the intentions of Tim's family?
We all have decided there will always be some jerk out there. Today you are him.
But you know what.
Millions of people aren't like you. Many of these millions don't even know my brother in law Tim. But they pray for him, pray for us, support us and care for us.
That is what matters. You will understand after thinking about what you said, how wrong it truely was to say. I believe that. I am sure you feel bad right now. I tell ya what Reddog. I just prayed for you. Really. Why don't you try on some prayer yourself if you don't understand the situation and maybe God will help you through it.
I have to say I am FLOORED by "reddog's" Questions & remarks!! I dont know what would make you think a whole community as one would stoop to the level of trying to "get money". What were you thinking? I am assuming you have never had to deal with a tragic medical situation in your family. I can say that as a mother and someone who knows firsthand what is like to have the struggles of ongoing medical. I can only assusme you are young and have not dealt with this type of struggle. I ask that you stop and think "reddog". When Tim went to work everyday he did his job with PRIDE, and without passing judgement. I can only say that I will PRAY for you. We as a community need to be more compassionate for are neighbor. You need to ask yourself "reddog" Why you think such a thought? If you only knew how scary it is to not know when and how things will be paid. I know firsthand of being in the situation of trying to pay for my Tx along with my mortage and raising 2 children. Would you be willing to walk in Tims shoes for one day? Since you make it sound so simple. All I can say is that I will pray for you as well!!!
Reddog, Ignorance is bliss… I hope you never have to learn the hard way. However, I think you may have learned one lesson in all of this – posting information for the whole world to see isn’t always a simple pursuit. Take this and learn from it. As a family we have had to learn many lessons in recent weeks – lessons we don’t want others to have to share.
To the family, friends and supporters of Tim, I feel your pain at these words because there were leveled at all of us. But we have to take our energy and focus it on what matters. Words are wasted if they are spent on insignificant pursuits – Emotion is lost if it is not productive. Tim needs to come home and again be happy.
reddog, please leave your real name since you know mine. i'd like to sit down and talk with you regarding your incorrect feelings on why this fund-raiser happend. i seem to explain it better in person and not over a keyboard. tims brother ---kevin
Tim continues to work hard in therapy. He tries to do his best everyday. We are so proud of his progress and are greatful he continues to surprise us daily. Niki
reddog, I wasn't going to respond to your comments from the other day but I couldn't let it go. Even though I totally disagree with what you posted. I know your entitled to your opinion. BUT as far as I know this blog site was not intended for this kind of use. It was set up for when Tim is feeling up to it and ready he can look at it and know that people really care about him and are pulling for his full recovery. He doesn't need to be reading about how One individual is ripping on his family. You have stooped to a very low level of a human being. As far as the fundraiser goes, It wasn't totally held to raise money, it was done by his law enforcement and fire fighting family to get together and kind of debreif what had happened, and to show our support for the men and women who work in this field of public service.People dont go into this line of work to fill their pockets with money, they do it because they are normally good people that was why there was such a big reponse on Sunday. I know the Johnson brothers and I know Kevin would not be doing this to line his pocket. So please in the future as I said earlier do not post your slamming comments on here this site isn't about you, this site is about Deputy Tim Johnson to help him during his recovery. If you didn't notice I didn't hide behind some bogus computer name, like you did.
Tim has had a long road of working daily on the simple task of learning to swallow, write his name, take care of himself in daily grooming needs and and trying to remember his past.
Daily acheivements like wow he swallowed 10 times in therapy are huge excitements for our family.
These are small task we all take for granted everyday. Daily Tim is challenged by these small things. But he fights the good fight and works hard on every task given to him.
He works his recovery like he worked his job. He gives it his all daily.
During this time in Tim's recovery we ask that you pray for patience and peace for Tim. He really needs it. Thanks for checking in to our site and sharing your prayers and thoughts. Thanks a bunch! Niki Johnson
First off- Michelle, Kevin, Nike, Brian, Jungle Joe-You all made excellent points to Reddog and I want you to know...to the Family/extended family of DEPUTY TIM JOHNSON we support you fully...150%! I was at the benefit and it was a wonderful time. Family oriented, friends, family memebers, all accepting, all supportive and all there for the good cause and support of Law Enforcement Officers....and that day especially, Tim Johnson. There were several times in speaking with Niki, Michelle, Tim's aunts...that I teared up thinking about what the family is going through...all the uncertainty....
TIM-I have 3 words for you "JUST DO IT"....do it for Griffin, do it for Ava, do it for Erica, do it for Kevin, Niki...do it for all your "brothers and sisters" at MCSO and surrounding areas...but most importantly DO IT FOR YOU!! You can do it Tim....All the support you need, it's here for you-ALWAYS! We are proud of you and the strides you've made thus far.
I just want to give my best wishes and support to Tim and his entire family. It's amazing and extremely uplifting to hear the good news about Tim's recovery from Kevin each night at roll call. Monday night, Mr. Johnson spoke to us at roll call and told us that one of Tim's goals is to come back to work. Tim, I have no doubts that you'll be back. Best of luck to you, keep up your hard work, and I'll see ya soon.
I heard a number of people raise the same issue that Reddog has. The DSA has had a history of picking and chosing who they go out of their way for. There have been deputies that have been injured or became ill without the benefit of workers' compensation. And there wasn't anywhere near the support that Tim's family have received. The biggest issue I've heard about the money was it was just given to the family to use as they see fit. Which on it's face could have the potential for misuse. If the money had been designated or a specific use...like college trust funds for the children no one would even raise the issue. If Tim can never return to the department he will receive 80% of a deputy's salary tax-free for life. Not exactly a small percentage of his salary. He will also be covered for his medical care for life as well as whatever future damages are recovered from any lawsuits the family files.
Hi Tim! Just want you to know that you are being prayed for on a daily basis. We know that you are strong and have so much to fight for. Keep on going! Love ya, Deanna
Hi, It's Niki, Tim's sister in law. I have just finished reading the statements made by bowhntr. I appreciate your concern for the kids, truely I do. And thank you for wishing Tim a speedy recovery. But.... I would like you to understand some things. Along with anyone else questioning this family.
1-The money is for Tim, Tim's wife and children. We as his family have no access to the funds. It was never meant for us. In fact, Tim being in the hospital has cost us all quite a bit of money driving to the hospital daily, paying for parking daily, eating at the hospital daily and the list goes on. But it doesn't matter to us, it is all about Tim for us.
2-Yes, he will receive 80% of his current base income. But catch the words CURRENT BASE INCOME. That means never getting a raise again, ever! Even when the price of living changes or the kids need braces or cars or college or weddings or the heater goes out or something, Tim will still be getting only 80% of 2007 base income from a newby at the department. Now, Tim has only been on the department for only 4 years. So his base income is not very high as you can imagine. Deputies don't make that much money. That is why Kevin, Tim and many, many other deputies work plenty of over time to make the months bills. This is not a job people take becuase they have dreams of being wealthy someday. Tim can never work overtime again. Well at least not until he has the ability to work again. We have no idea how long that will be, or if it will ever happen, we hope, but don't know the future.
3-Erica, Tim's wife, worked and brought in an income like most deputies wives have to do to pay the bills of a family. She has a new full time job now, taking care of Tim. Many may have an opinion of this, but for a long time, Tim will be a full time job. He will have to attend therapy 5 days a week, and need constant supervision at home, not to be left alone. Workman's comp doesn't come pick Tim up for therapy, or stay there with him or bring him home. They also may only help with an aide in the home for a short time IF tim needs nursing care, we are not sure yet. That again means someone in our family needs to be there 24 hours a day. Plus, please don't forget that Tim and Erica have 2 small children, ages 2 and 1. If you have ever been an active parent that takes care of two small children at the same time, you would know that doing that in itself is also a full time job. So, when is Erica to find time to also go to work to supplement what they are missing from her past income and Tim's now reduced past income? In her sleep? Oh wait, sorry, she can't do that either, she needs to be there at home every moment even when Tim sleeps.
4-As far as the DSA choosing to help us more than others, talk to them. I know nothing about how they choose who to help more or less. I would assume by the severity of the illness or injury. Brain trauma is major, remember we thought Tim would die when they begin to help us, ok. I am just grateful they did help us. We are so grateful for them stepping in. They have been tremendous with us. They are a wonderful group of people. All the deputies have been worderful. I am sure if Tim would have gotten broken legs instead of a brain injury, I am sure we would not have received the amount of help we did. But we would have received help. And that would make since wouldn't it? But I promise you there would have been deputies still step in to help, that is what they do. It is a brotherhood like no other. I have experienced this firsthand with my own husband and medical problems. The association didn't step in like this either, but the deputies were there for us from the start. And keep in mind.
5-You talk about the money being used as Tim and Erica see fit. Well, do you feel someone else should have the decision making powers to spend the money given to them for thier undetermined future? It is for Tim and Tim's wife Erica and their children. I trust Tim and Erica's decisions as to how to spend the money. You all have to also. Everyone likes Tim. He is a good man, father, friend, husband, son, brother, etc. That is why people trust him, that is why people helped they way they did without question.
6-Last but not least. GOD and GOD only has given Tim a second chance. Tim was not sapposed to make it off that freeway. We know that. But he did. He was not sapposed to make it past the first day in the hospital, but he did. He was sapposed to be in a coma for at least 6 months, he woke up after 2 weeks. And the list goes on and on for all the miracles that have happened with Tim. We are true believers and have strong faith in god. We are not the type of people who scam. We have been so blessed with all the prayers, concerns, hugs, and more. The money is just money. Not to say that the family isn't grateful for what you all did for Tim and his wife and children, but it is money. It will help make up for lost wages, that is it. It will not help make up for the lost time Griffin and Ava have had away from daddy. Or the lost time Erica has had from her husband or her undetermined life. Or the lost time that Missy(tim's sister) has had away from joking and hanging out with her brother, or the loss of Michelle(tim's sister)her daily phone calls with Tim, or Kevin's loss(tim's brother), Tim was his best friend, his little brother, and buddy at work. The loss of Tims parents, can you imagine seeing your own child lifeless in a bed and have no power to do anything about it? The list goes on and on since Tim has such a huge family and a huge amount of friends. And please don't think for one moment that if Erica could give back all the money to have Tim back and whole she wouldn't. She would give it back in a second. We all would give anything for him not to have to go through what he does daily.
On a better note... Tim had another surgery today. It went pretty good by the way. He is recovering well. We love him. We respect him. We are proud of him.
This blog site is for people to share prayers and for us to update to the best of our ability. Not for people to question this family. Please keep in mind someday Tim will read all this. All of it. I want him to be happy and not think, how horrible it was for us to be questioned by people or something like that. But those that question or are negative are few and far between thank goodness. Most of you all here reading this know our hearts and care for us. And we thank you for that. God bless everyone and have a wonderful day. Niki
To all concerned individuals: Please, I ask that you stop worrying about what the money will be used for. This is my brother and he has endured ONE of the greatest sacrafice's that you can make being a police officer/ deputy sheriff. We all expect to go home after our shift has ended. I know my brother was not expecting to have his life "turned upside down". My brother was in good spirits before this accident because I and other deputies talked and teased him a half hour before he was hit. I know we all are expected to make a sacrafice but we never know when that day comes. My brother's day came, he was not suppose to live according to the deputies at the scene and the doctors at the hospital. My brother is a "miracle man" according to the doctors. As most of you have read, my brother has only been on the job for four years. Not alot of time to save money or collect a pension and reap the rewards of our 457(b) deferred comp plan that requires YEARS to make something. My brother has a long, difficult life ahead of him right now. If by chance my brother is not able to come back, he will need alot of help. I don't think it's a "crime" to ask the taxpayers, the citizens of milwaukee and surrounding areas to help a deputy that has sacraficed his life for you. When and I hope it does not come to a possible duty disability for my brother, he will be locked in at the rate of pay right now. We don't make terrible money but when your only on the job for four years it hurts. If anything can change to help out future and past deputies, lets start with the county supervisors and ask them that when a deputy is injured on the job and cannot work ever again, to move their pay up to "top deputy" pay. This would not cost the county alot more money since an injury on the job is very rare. This would really make it easier for the family of an injured deputy. That deputy would have made it to top pay in his/her career so why not "reward" them for their sacrafice? I know my brother would have stayed his entire career with the sheriff's dep't. Some of you know my brother from working with him, some may have been cited by him and all his friends know that my brother's integrity is very high and he would not want to "scam" anyone or profit from an unfortunate event. Please show him the respect he deserves and continue with positive messages because I am proud of him no matter what and I want him to feel proud of himself and to never have a doubt in his mind that what happend on January 12, 2007 was not his fault nor prevent him from living a life with his family as he see's fit with the money that was DONATED from the goodness of other people's hearts. Please. Sincerely, Kevin Johnson
Chairman Lee Holloway 5th District Mark A. Borkowski 11th District Gerry Broderick 3rd District Paul M. Cesarz 9th District Toni M. Clark 2nd District
Elizabeth M. Coggs-Jones 10th District Lynne De Bruin 15th District Dan Devine 17th District Marina Dimitrijevic 4th District Willie Johnson, Jr. 13th District
Michael Mayo, Sr. 7th District Ryan P. McCue 8th District Richard D. Nyklewicz, Jr. 14th District Roger H. Quindel 18th District Joseph Rice 6th District
Jim "Luigi" Schmitt 19th District John F. Weishan, Jr. 16th District Peggy West 12th District James G. White 1st District
MILWAUKEE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Courthouse Room 201, 901 North 9th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233 PHONE: 414-278-4222 FAX: 414-223-1380
Hi all- The last couple days since Tim's surgery he has had many confused moments, sometimes all day. It is hard for us, but even more so, it is extremely hard for Tim. Please pray for him to find peace to sleep at night and energy to do all his therapies during the day and to have clarity again at all times.
Hi, My name is Cheryl. I heard about Tim's accident on the news and have been following your comments every since!
First I want to start by saying "I am very sorry for your family". Words can not express the hurt "outsiders" are feeling as myself, but on the other hand, the pain and every other emotion that the Johnson family is dealing with is something NOBODY ever should have to endure!!!!
Second I feel I need to say this on behalf of the Milwaukee community!! For these people that are SOOOO self centered are the ones worrying about how this "money" is dealt with, how about you or your brother or your mother or your sister or your son or your daughter endure such a situation that "you" need some sort of help. I would put everything I own on saying - IS YOUR HAND GOING TO BE OUT FOR THE PAYOUT? Please, don't misunderstand when I say that!! This is not a slam against the Johnson Family, it is a slam for these jerks that have enough nerve to even comment about how this money is used!!!!
Has any of you "questioners" ever needed any help from anybody, chances are that you have and you accepted that "help" with no question, OK maybe a question of "How much "help" am I going to receive?" with NO QUESTIONS why someone is helping you!!! These people need to look at the whole picture, and STOP BEING SO SELF CENTERED!!!!!
Tim, I am hoping everyday, life is changing for the better!!!! From what your family has posted, (for the people that are truly concerned) your recovery sounds like a long haul, but TIM, you probably don't feel this right now, but you WILL recover and be back on the streets again, being with your family, and putting this all in the past. I wish I could say or do something for you and your family to make this all go away!!
The Johnson Family, I see how caring you all are from what is posted!!! You are what is going to bring Tim home!!! Please to the whole family, the "questioners" that are trying what ever they can do to TRY to bring this family down, and I see you are all staying as strong as possible, even with all of this crap people want to put in your heads. ALWAYS REMEMBER: JEALOUSLY WILL NOT YOU NOWHERE!! also, DON'T ARGUE WITH IGNORANCE, it will beat you up and these morons get exactly what they are preying on!!!
Bring home a great recovery and STAY STRONG!!!!
Cheryl from Milwaukee Posted by dablond711 at 11:43 AM 0 comments
Check out Officer.com today(3/1). Tim's story and the Wisconsin Move Over law made a national website as the headline story. Thanks to WISN for the original post.
Also, I'm a little behind in this thank you, but a huge thanks to the neighbors around the golf dome who volunteered themselves and their vehicles to help ferry people to and from Tim's event. With people parking over a mile away, my family and I were grateful to have a ride back to my car that cold night. The people who drove us said they heard what the event was for and some of the neighbors along the road decided to ferry people back and forth in their mini vans. They could have been ticked off at all of the cars and people on their street, but instead, Tim's story inspired even more people. Thanks again to the "taxi's" that night!
Hi All- I have not posted much about Tim's condition lately. It has become difficult to post the things that have changed. He i increasingly getting better. But to pin piont it exactly is very difficult in words. But here goes, Tim is much less confused. He seems to understand things better about what happened to him and where he is and what is going on with him. He is physically strong as the injury he received wasn't to his body, and that his motor skills are really good. He is in good spirits. He is happy to see family and friends walk in the door. He recognizes us all so far. He isn't agitated any longer. That is such a blessing. It was hard to watch him be agitated for us all, so imagine how he felt. He looks handsome. Same old Tim to me. He's still got that "I am a stinker smile" Gotta love his humor! He's still got it. Sweet as could be. Smiles all the time. So thank you lord for answering all the prayers that have been asked for Tim. You are a faithful god! Thank you! Niki
Hi my name is Rachelle Jackson and I work with both Tim and Kevin. I am praying for Tim's recovery and strength for the family. I want to leave with you my favorite scripture, Isiah 41:10, "So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be sidmayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold ;you with my righteous right hand." We sometimes wonder why God allows things to happen to us, but we know that He knows what is best. He will use this as a testimony for Tim to show others the power of God. To know that no one but a God could heal and deliver such a one from a time such as this. God will continue to give you peace in the mist of the storm, and give time strength to continue to fight. My continued prayers and blessings be with your family. Again, Thanks for the updates on Tim's condition.
To everyone who reads this blog. Please write the county supervisors that I left in an earlier blog above and lets get the ball going on helping past deputies and future deputies that may have been injured on the job and never reached top pay. I was told by one of our union board members that the county can change this or it can be changed with one of our contracts. I would like to see the county supervisors take the initiative to make the pay change themselves. It would say alot coming from them without our union proposing the change. So please let your voice be heard and send them a message or call them to change this. thanks, kevin j
Hi I just want to say I'm so glad to hear all that has happened for Tim. I am praying and believing for a complete and speedy recovery I know this may seem impossible but God showed me a scripture for Tim. It says Genesis 18:14 Is anything to hard for the Lord? Let me tell you the answer is no. I hope one day I will get to meet you Tim and I pray that God may do what he is always so faithful to do and that is bring good out of Bad. God bless, my heart and prayers go out to you, your family, and all who have been affected.
Thank you for your continued support! Although Tim is home, it certainly doesn't mean he is fully recovered. Well wishers have asked me when he will be going back to work. My answer is still "we have no idea". He is home - yes, but he is far from being anywhere near his fullest potential of recovery. We are grateful for the continued interest from the media, but they seem to be making it sound as though because Tim is out of the hospital, he is "recovered". This is just the next step in his long journey to recovery. Each step toward progress brings new heartbreak and challenges, so please continue to keep Tim, Erica and their children in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you again for your care and support! Michelle
Hello All- I thought I would come on and give you an update. Tim is home and really working hard everyday in therapy. His therapy continues and will until Tim is at his full potential. He is really doing great for all things considered. We are very proud of him everyday. I look at the past blogs I have posted here on his condition and am so glad he can read this and go back and see how far he has really come over the last two months. He is a miracle! Thank you all for your continued support and prayers! God Bless! Niki
Hi Tim and Erica, Just wanted to say that I really enjoyed seeing you both the other day. Tim, please keep in mind what I said about the fact that you are a walking miracle, and NO ONE on this planet has the right to tell you what your limitations are. You have defied what Man was intended to live thru and endure. You are a remarkable person, and I feel very honored to know you. You are truly an inspiration to so many people. I love the fact that you are WANTING to get back out there and show everybody up as to what you can do. Good for you Tim! You show us all up; and Godspeed! Sincerely your friend, Janel
I hope all is well and Tim is on his way to an awesome recovery. I heard about Tim's page through a law enforcement friend on myspace.com. I have since made a banner and have done some bulletins about Tim's story. You can see the graphic I made and have sent out to everyone at my url. www.myspace.com/swat_ghost God Speed Tim !!!
Hello Deputy Johnson, You need bed time stories read to you to stimulate the brain. What brings you to Milwaukee, WI? Get well, soon. The hard earned dollars are the treasures to the Brewers bringing home the pennant! Linda
66 comments:
Tim is doing great! He is opening his eyes, yet not out of his coma though. But he is definately in the stages of waking up! He is off of life support and breathing on his own! Thank GOD!
I am so glad to hear all of the positive updates on Tim's condition. He has been in my prayers constantly and Logan has been asking his preschool class to pray for "Officer Johnson" every day as well.
It's so encouraging to know he's opening his eyes. To all of the family, if there is anything at all that I can do to help please don't think twice about calling me. I am here and willing to do whatever I can for any of you.
First I want to say that my brother "Beav" is the best. Perhaps that is why he has so many people praying for him and encouraging us while we wait for his recovery.
I want to say thank you to everyone for all of their support, donations, time,food,prayers, cards, etc..., but it seems that these days those two words are not nearly enough to cover how grateful we all are for EVERYTHING! We have been touched by the beauty of the human spirit, and for me it is extremely comforting and heartwarming.
Please continue to pray for Tim, Erica and their children. Thank you for your support!
Today was another good day for Tim. He has a long road ahead of him, but he will always have our family to support him along the way! We all are so very thankful for everyone in the community and beyond! Tim has his family, his brotherhood family of the deputies he works along side with and the communty that have shown the true spirit of kindness! God Bless each and everyone of you! Keep up the prayers!
Tim continues to work hard and fight what has happened to him. He is a very strong man and will over come this tragedy some day. Sometimes it seems recovery is so far away, but I have faith that Gods time is the best thing for Tim. God is working in so many ways. We all are holding strong for Tim daily! We are by his side and are grateful for all of those of you that are there for us!
God bless you all!
I am so very happy to hear of Tim's progress. My husband is a 2nd Shift Deputy (he was allowed to do a Media ride along that terrible day)....I feel whole heartedly for the family and am here for the entire Johnson family as well as the MCSO family! Way to go TIM...keep up the good work!
It was such a good visit with Tim on Fri. I'm anxious to come see him again soon.
Niki, make sure Kevin calls if he needs anything.
JC
The Black and Blue Ball was last night and it was so touching all the people who love and concern for Tim! Thank you all for all you do. I just can't say that enough times.
Erica thanks you, the Johnson family thanks you and if Tim were able to say it, I know he would be so very thankful to you all!
Keep up the prayers.
God Bless!
Niki
I'm glad to hear that Tim is doing better.. Before you know it he will be moving around and back out out on the streets..
Tims accident was read at all Milwaukee Police Department roll calls and he has our support.. Get well soon and plan on me being at your fund raisers w/ money in hand..
I'm excited that Tim is off the life support and breathing on his own. That was the best news to hear! Although I don't know Tim and Erica on a personal level, I know they have a great love for each other, and they will get through this - together. I missed the Black and Blue Ball lastnight as I had to work. I am going to try to make it to the Deputy Tim Johnson Benefit on February 18. My friend's band HAZMAT is playing (the bass player's brother is Deputy Alex Colon).
Erica and the entire Johnson family - we are all praying for you and know this - we are ALWAYS here for you.
Tim continues to fight an awesome fight to come back to us. God is answering all our prayers daily!
(J.C. and all you guys who know who you are. You are all very special to my heart. You are awesome friends to Beav! I see this truely touches your hearts everytime I look in your eyes! Thanks for being there for him!)
Niki
Niki,
I didn't get you text until late last night. I plan on going to see Tim on Fri. It's so awesome to hear hom much Tim has improved. I've only known Tim for Four years, but I know he's a fighter. I don't think it's ever been more apparent.
Keep us posted....
JC
I am Joe, I am Michelle's student. I am very happy that Tim is getting better. God will help him, he always help nice person. I want to tell Tim, don't give up! You are a tough guy, like a superman. I will pray for you every night!!
Well, Tim is doing awesome. He is making so much progress. He is determined to leap out of this. He will be whole, no doubt! Soon!
He has been recovering faster than anyone would have ever anticipated. It will still be a long road, but a much more joyous one than we thought we would be on.
Keep up the prayers and encouraging words to Tim, His family, his wife and children and his friends. This keeps us going!
Thank you all for everything. Tim is truely blessed with you all!
Too blessed to stress,
to anointed to be dissappointed!
Everything in Gods time as I always say!
PS. Thank you Joe for writing in our blog. It is nice to know even Tims sister Michelle's students are so supportive of her during this time, she needs it! Keep up the good work and prayers Joe!
Love, Niki
Tim is fighting the way you would expect him to do. He has made up his mind to get strong and once he makes up his mind, you know what that means. Everything Tim is challenged to do in therapy, he gives it his all! Keep up the prayers! Prayer is the strongest medicine that has brought Tim this far!
And who knows, Tim may surprise us all and maybe Tim attend his event for a short moment on the 18th! That would be awesome!
I will keep you posted! Niki
Hello Family and Friends,
On behalf of the family, I would again like to thank every single one of you reading this right now, because you are here out of your genuine concern for Tim.
We can't say how much we appreciate everything you are doing to support his recovery. We know that it is because of all of you and your prayers that Tim is healing.
However, we have been asked to share this information with you from Tim's medical team. Right now in Tim's recovery it is imperative that he receive minimal stimulation to keep him from being so agitated. For those of you who have recently visited Tim, you probably have seen how extremely frustrated and agitated he is. The medical staff believes it is best for us to now limit his visitors to immediate family only. We realize this may be difficult for some of you, I know how difficult it is to be away. We have to realize that being at Tim's side all day and all night may not be the best for him right now. Believe me - I understand the desire to be with him. But, I know Tim feels all of our love and support, and we remind him of that each time we see him.
Tim is undergoing some very intense therapy right now, and it is best for him to save his energy and strength for that therapy. Until he gets past this stage of frustration and agitation, we appreciate your support and prayers "from a distance".
We will definitely keep you informed of his progress, and invite you to visit with us in the family and friends waiting area.
Thank you for everything!
Michelle
Tim's sister
Hi, I am Pam (antmarta). I work with Erica. I have prayed so hard for Tim and the entire family for his recovery. I can't begin to tell you how extremely happy I am at reading your posts telling us how well Tim is doing. Tim is indeed a fighter and is showing his zest for life! In the beginning, I cried because of the horrible news, now I cry tears of joy because I know once again...he'll be back! Tim stay strong! The same to you Erica and family. I continue to pray and send all my best wishes to you. We will see you on the 18th!
One day at a time is what we have learned from the process we are now going through with Tim.
Everyday brings different and sometimes very difficult challenges for Tim and us all.
Tim has God on his side as he walks down this very long road to recovery.
We as a family have faith that in the end of this journey, we can look back and see how much we have all grown as humans and as a family.
We truely are greatful of all your support during this very difficult time in all of our lives and are surprised daily by it all.
Every morning I wake up and remember that this is all real. Then I hop online to see what everyone has written to us all. It really makes my day for all the love I feel through your kind words. Keep it up!
Thank you all!
Niki
Hi Niki and Kevin, I just wanted to let you know that my family and I are still praying for Tim and your family. I am encouraged to see how strong your faith is through this. Our Lord is mighty, and I pray that your family will embrace His love, and except the comfort that will only come from a relationship with Him. Love you!
Hi Niki and Kevin, It's Karolyn. Just wanted to let you know that we are still praying for Tim and your whole family. I'm touched to see how strong your faith is. You know that our Lord is mighty, and although this all seems to be too much, God has a plan. I pray that your family will embrace His awesome love and reach out to Him for the comfort that only He(God) can give. Love ya,
Michelle, You should be very proud of the way you are handling Tim's care. I never had the pleasure to meet you but from what I read, I can see Tim inherited his unique qualities. You handle it all so eloquently. Tim remains in my thoughts & prayers. Much love, Ms. Jock
Michelle, you are an awesome person! Protecting your brother in such a sophisticated way! I never had the privilege of meeting you but I knew Tim well. He spent many hours in our home. I can see he inherited his awesome personality. You should all be very, very proud of yourselves. Continue the good fight. We will keep praying. Sincerely Ms. Jock
It has been brought to my attention that some people assumed that my post on the 3rd of February made people think Tim would be going to the fundraiser on the 18TH. This is not the case. It would be a wonderful miracle if it would be possible, but I was just saying maybe Tim will surprise us all by really making a quick recovery. I was asked to clear that up for people who misunderstood the posting. Sorry. But still be hopeful and pray that he will make that quick recovery.
As for updates. People are also questioning why we are not giving full medical debriefings on this website. There are many reasons why. But just know that when we are at liberty to tell you more, we will. It is a hard thing to write, as people misunderstand things easily.
When we say Tim is doing awesome, that is our veiw of his progress since we saw him the first day of the accident. He has come an extremely long way since then. But he has an extremely long way to go also. Just keep in mind that brain injuries are so unpredictable. They can't tell us much of anything, since everyone with a brain injury is so different. Truely. One person with just slight trauma may never recover, and another with major trauma may recover almost fully. It is a day at a time for us all. We are hoping that someday Tim will recover fully from this tragedy. I truely believe he will. But we don't have the ability to say that he for sure will. The doctors can not tell us that. As much as we wish they could, they can't. But we keep up our faith and know that whatever happens, we love Tim, we will always be there for him, always by his side, and the same goes for Erica and the children. We are there for them always.
That being said. Tim seems to be much more settled down now that we have limited the stimulation he is receiving. That is what is important, that Tim does better. And he is. Know that.
Have a wonderful night.
Niki
After talking to Erica tonight, she mentioned a song she is calling "hers" right now. As soon as she named the song, I knew it immediately, and I couldn't agree with her more - it is perfect. The song is called "Life Ain't Always Beautiful" by Gary Allan.
Here's the lyrics:
Life ain't always beautiful
Sometimes it's just plain hard
Life can knock you down, it can break your heart
Life ain't always beautiful
You think you're on your way
And it's just a dead end road at the end of the day
But the struggle makes you stronger
And the changes make you wise
And happiness has it's own way of takin' it sweet time
[chorus]
No,life aint always beautiful
Tears will fall sometimes
Life aint always beautiful
But it's a beautiful ride
Life aint always beautiful
Some days I miss your smile
I get tired of walkin' all these lonely miles
And I wish for just one minute
I could see your pretty face
Guess I can dream, but life dont work that way
But the struggles makes me stronger
And the changes make me wise
And happiness has it's own way of takin' its sweet time
No, life aint always beautiful
But I know I'll be fine
Hey, life aint always beautiful
But its a beautiful ride
Hi, I am Joe. I come from Taiwan. I heard the accident to Tim, I have written the note to Tim last week. I also want to tell Erica, you are a brave woman, and I really admire your brave. I heard that Tim is getting better, because you give him courage. By the way, my girl friend's name is Erica,too.
Hi everyone. This is Tim's brother, Kevin. We now have the raffle tickets. There are so, so many items that have been donated. Please show your support and purchase these tickets for your chance to win some of the great prizes. Remember all proceeds go to my brother and his family. You can contact the union office, Deputies Baker, Felber or myself. There are items for police officers only such as a Taser package or a point blank vest. There are items for both men and women as well as children. You may purchase them at the event also. I look forward to seeing everybody on February 18, 2007 at DOMINICS. Thank you,
Kevin Johnson
I guess the best and most recent report I can give on Tim is this. He is spending alot of time sleeping the last day or so. Kevin and I were up there all morning, and well, let's just say we didn't get a chance to really visit him. His body is in the healing phase. That is the most important thing he can do right now. So, we are actually very happy. We are excited to see what comes next. Continue all the prayers please. They are definately working. God is awesome!
Niki
Daily Tim surprises us all! He is coming back to us slowly. Slowly is the word I use because this type of recovery is unlike any other. It is not a bone that heals in 6 weeks. This is the most complex healing a body can do. But Tim is surprising staff and family alike all the time. He is truely a MIRACLE!
Our family continues to pray daily and have faith that god is working hard on Tim right now. God is so awesome and we are so very thankful to god for all he is doing.
Kevin got held over on his shift at work due to so many accidents and spin outs on the freeway-stupid drivers! But in a way it was good because he got a chance to go see Tim during the morning and got to see what he is like when he first wakes up and how much more alert he is at that hour. It was nice that Kevin got off work late so he could be there after work to see Tim. He was really happy when he got home! Kevin is so proud of Tim everyday!
We are so fortunate to have such support from you all. Tim will soon know what you have all done for him and his family. He will be very proud to say you are his friends!
Thank you all and we will see you all on Sunday at the event!
Thank you for the updates, it means alot to all of us. Tim continues to be in our thoughts and prayers.
Tim is really giving his all daily. Therapy goes good for Tim. He fights an awesome fight daily to get well enough to come home. He is on this life changing journey right now and I know in the end, he will be a better and stronger man for what he has endured.
He gets stronger physically and mentally daily. Keep up all the wonderful prayers.
Please keep Erica, Griffin and Ava in your prayers too. This is Tim's own family and they need him back whole.
Lift Tim up to God! He has a long way to go.
Thanks and God Bless!
Niki
Hello all - I'm a cousin to Larry Johnson, so I suppose I'm a cousin to many of you! We have been praying hard for Tim's recovery. It's obvious that many of our prayers have been answered. Thank you so much for keeping us posted. One foot in front of the other and he will get there!
Super article in the Catholic Herald! Good luck with the fundraiser as well!
Just want to send my prayers to the whole Johnson family. I do not know any of you but I read about Tim's accident and story in the Catholic Herald Newspaper and will continue to pray for Tim and your family. What an amazing story.
What a miracle to see how far he's come and the fact that the day he opened his eyes was on January 26, St. Timothy's Feast Day....how moving.
God is truly amazing and I am so glad to hear you all are keeping your faith and staying together as a family.
My thoughts and prayers are with you! I will continue to pray and watch for more updates on Tim.
Kevin & Michelle,
I am very sorry your brother has had to endure this tradgedy and am glad he is doing well.
I don't understand why you are having fundraisers for his medical bills and such. He was injured on the job so they are covered by workmans compensation and would also be eligible for salary benefits under workmans compensation. It makes me think that you are trying to use his tradgedy to solicit money for the family to pocket.
Dear Reddog,
Thanks for your response in regards to the family turning my brother’s tragedy into a way to pocket money. I thought twice about responding, but thought I should in honor of all those who have been so willing to help support our brother and his family. Your response was one of the reasons we tried to stay away from the media right away, because sometimes, only a fraction of the real story is told. Perhaps you may have misunderstood, or only got part of what was said about the way the money will be used. You are correct – workman’s compensation will cover my brother’s medical bills, and a fraction of his salary, but it is our understanding that it will not last forever, that soon there will be some deals in the works to be sure he gets just the minimal amount of compensation. Afterall, he is no longer able to perform the job he did for the county, and we all know the county doesn’t have money in its budget for “frivolous” spending.
You are correct also when you say he is doing “well”, but again the media doesn’t report on what is really meant by progress. Yes, he is walking and beginning to communicate, but if for one second you think you know what that progress really looks like – please think again.
You commented on using the donated money for, “medical bills and such” – would it make you happier if you had an itemized list of what “such” is? Our brother has a very, very long, arduous road ahead of him. We have been told that we may not know his true potential until at least two years from now. Already Tim’s wife has had to step away from her job indefinitely. He has two small children, whom he believed he would have been able to provide for. Those provisions look completely different right now, as we have no real answers about his recovery. When he returns home, his wife will be completely responsible for his ongoing care - twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Again, we can provide you with that itemized list as time goes on.
I appreciate your opinion, and concern for our taking advantage of the community, but nobody ever asked for any of this. I know his wife would give everything back and more, if she could just have her husband and father of her children back. When my brother’s accident first happened, it was a natural response for everyone to try to protect him from any further harm, including any financial burdens that would evolve.
So, as you are able to hide behind your computer screen to slam my family and the community who supports him, my brother continues to fight to be at least half the man he used to be.
Sincerely,
Michelle Trawicki
Reddog....
I simply could not belive my eye's in what you wrote...
The 1st thought that came to my mind was, welp, can't fix stupid. But that would be stooping to your level.
You have no clue as to how the world operates, your statement clearly shows a distinct ignorance to reality.
Why don't you go outside and look around once ???
This man was doing his job, he is a public servant. Being a public servant is a thankless job. The people who take on these jobs are Hero's in their own rights. Every day, they get up and go to work, Every day their loved ones and family hope that nothing bad will happen.
For these men and women who choose to be in the front lines (Police Officers , Firemen, Military etc...) Are doing their job to protect YOUR freedom, to make YOUR LIFE and FAMILY live in a SAFE environment.
They are there when you need them, they put others before themselves in order to help people they don't even know. They are put into high risk situations on a daily basis, to protect the public and to aid and assist others in need, no matter the size of the crisis, they will be there to help.
And each and every day that passes, these wonderful people get out of bed, and do the same thing the next day. You if you have a family, feel safe that your children (if you have any) can play in the park, or go to school and be safe. You don't think about these concerns because these people have always been there to help/protect/serve.
They are also held to a higher standard than a normal person. Higher Ethics and Morals both while working and while at home. Yes there have been some rotten apples in the public sector, but those eventually get rooted out and gotten rid of.
And you sit behind your computer, and you type out a statement that is extremely insulting to this poor family and this wonderful man who in risking his life to protect another, ended up almost dying for it.
Do you think that what the government will offer for support in funds will cover even 1/10th of what this man will need over the next few years ????? The answer is NO, I dare say how can you spew the statement you did without thinking of reality. Here was a man who has a family, who for awhile was considered that he was not going to make it. But he is a fighter, and he get's pass the critical part, but that's only the begining...........
He may never be able to perform or work as he once did, and at no fault of his own did this happen.
Will the government watch his kids, and take care of him during his long journey towards recovery ??? The answer is NO, it'd be nice if it was different, but this is reality here. SO WAKE UP !!!!
When you pick up your phone and dial 911 because there is an intruder in your home, you expect that you will get immediate attention and assistance. If your child is driving a car and gets in an accident and is injured, you EXPECT that he/she will be promptly saved and transported to a hospital.
It would be nice if for people like Tim, injured in the line of duty, were justly taken care of afterwards. But the sad reality and high cost's of health care and rehab means there is not a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It means there is not even a yellow brick road. It means this family is faced with a very hard and long journey and no, you don't get any free miles for this trip, it's going to be 1 step at a time, uphill, for a loooooooooooooong ways.
So Reddog, go crawl back into your kennel you mangy mutt, and the next time you need help, don't bother to call, since in my opinion people like you are so self centered and selfish, I am sure you can take care of whatever problems you have all by yourself. Why should society have one of their Hero's act on your behalf when you kick them when they are down ????
To Michelle, My family's heart goes out to you, we will pray for your brothers recovery and hope that he can make a full recovery someday. In reading your response to Reddog, you are very polite, you must be one hell of a woman to write what you did, so Honor and Faith must run strong within your family, for you have shown that you are like your brother, you put others before yourself and you took a hurtful post and had the guts to politely reply to this idiot. Kudo's to you and your family.
Tell Tim that another public servant here, wishes him the best, and that he is a true Hero, and that our family will always pray and keep him and your family in our thoughts every day.
I shudder to think what our great country would be like without Hero's like Tim.
God Bless you all who have shown your support in here, except for one, you mangy mutt, you know who you are.... Go back to your kennel and don't come out until you've learned to be humble and thankful for those people who put their lives at risk even for scum like you.
I think you owe this family one big apology for your idiotic comments... and even that barely covers your unbelievable statements. Or go hide behind your computer you coward.
Take care Michelle and Tim and all of your family. We know and understand and we care.
Michelle- Well said to Reddog.
As far as Reddog goes, shame on you to question the two of them!
Anyone who knows my husband Kevin and my sister in law Michelle would never question their intentions, NEVER!
Our family has indured this tragedy together through God's blessing and strength!
Unless you have been through something like this, you can't even imagine what is is like to walk into a very sterile hospital room and see a loved one with tubes coming from every location of their body, be in a deep coma, and fearing the worst for them. Would they make it through the night? If they do, will they remember their own children, wife and family? Will they walk and talk again? So many questions filled so many peoples mind.
Every second watching monitors to try to see how they are.
Listening to the doctors on how things would most likely turn out in the next 24 hours, weeks, months, years.
Only by God's awesome blessing has Tim recovered as far as he has. He still has very long to go though. Very long!
We started planning this benefit before we even knew if Tim would live or not.
Had Tim died, would you have questioned the fundraiser then?
Is it because he is recovering that you feel compelled to question the intentions of Tim's family?
We all have decided there will always be some jerk out there. Today you are him.
But you know what.
Millions of people aren't like you. Many of these millions don't even know my brother in law Tim. But they pray for him, pray for us, support us and care for us.
That is what matters.
You will understand after thinking about what you said, how wrong it truely was to say. I believe that. I am sure you feel bad right now.
I tell ya what Reddog.
I just prayed for you. Really. Why don't you try on some prayer yourself if you don't understand the situation and maybe God will help you through it.
Niki Johnson
I heard that Sheriff Clarke was not welcome at the fund raiser. Any truth in that Tim's family told Clarke he wasn't welcome there?
I have to say I am FLOORED by "reddog's" Questions & remarks!! I dont know what would make you think a whole community as one would stoop to the level of trying to "get money". What were you thinking? I am assuming you have never had to deal with a tragic medical situation in your family. I can say that as a mother and someone who knows firsthand what is like to have the struggles of ongoing medical. I can only assusme you are young and have not dealt with this type of struggle. I ask that you stop and think "reddog". When Tim went to work everyday he did his job with PRIDE, and without passing judgement. I can only say that I will PRAY for you. We as a community need to be more compassionate for are neighbor. You need to ask yourself "reddog" Why you think such a thought? If you only knew how scary it is to not know when and how things will be paid. I know firsthand of being in the situation of trying to pay for my Tx along with my mortage and raising 2 children. Would you be willing to walk in Tims shoes for one day? Since you make it sound so simple. All I can say is that I will pray for you as well!!!
Reddog, Ignorance is bliss… I hope you never have to learn the hard way. However, I think you may have learned one lesson in all of this – posting information for the whole world to see isn’t always a simple pursuit. Take this and learn from it. As a family we have had to learn many lessons in recent weeks – lessons we don’t want others to have to share.
To the family, friends and supporters of Tim, I feel your pain at these words because there were leveled at all of us. But we have to take our energy and focus it on what matters. Words are wasted if they are spent on insignificant pursuits – Emotion is lost if it is not productive. Tim needs to come home and again be happy.
Shame on you reddog. I sincerely hope that tragedy never visits your family for the age old adage is true...what comes around goes around.
reddog,
please leave your real name since you know mine. i'd like to sit down and talk with you regarding your incorrect feelings on why this fund-raiser happend. i seem to explain it better in person and not over a keyboard.
tims brother
---kevin
Tim continues to work hard in therapy. He tries to do his best everyday. We are so proud of his progress and are greatful he continues to surprise us daily.
Niki
reddog, I wasn't going to respond to your comments from the other day but I couldn't let it go. Even though I totally disagree with what you posted. I know your entitled to your opinion. BUT as far as I know this blog site was not intended for this kind of use. It was set up for when Tim is feeling up to it and ready he can look at it and know that people really care about him and are pulling for his full recovery. He doesn't need to be reading about how One individual is ripping on his family. You have stooped to a very low level of a human being.
As far as the fundraiser goes, It wasn't totally held to raise money, it was done by his law enforcement and fire fighting family to get together and kind of debreif what had happened, and to show our support for the men and women who work in this field of public service.People dont go into this line of work to fill their pockets with money, they do it because they are normally good people that was why there was such a big reponse on Sunday.
I know the Johnson brothers and I know Kevin would not be doing this to line his pocket.
So please in the future as I said earlier do not post your slamming comments on here this site isn't about you, this site is about Deputy Tim Johnson to help him during his recovery.
If you didn't notice I didn't hide behind some bogus computer name, like you did.
Tim has had a long road of working daily on the simple task of learning to swallow, write his name, take care of himself in daily grooming needs and and trying to remember his past.
Daily acheivements like wow he swallowed 10 times in therapy are huge excitements for our family.
These are small task we all take for granted everyday. Daily Tim is challenged by these small things. But he fights the good fight and works hard on every task given to him.
He works his recovery like he worked his job. He gives it his all daily.
During this time in Tim's recovery we ask that you pray for patience and peace for Tim. He really needs it.
Thanks for checking in to our site and sharing your prayers and thoughts.
Thanks a bunch!
Niki Johnson
First off- Michelle, Kevin, Nike, Brian, Jungle Joe-You all made excellent points to Reddog and I want you to know...to the Family/extended family of DEPUTY TIM JOHNSON we support you fully...150%! I was at the benefit and it was a wonderful time. Family oriented, friends, family memebers, all accepting, all supportive and all there for the good cause and support of Law Enforcement Officers....and that day especially, Tim Johnson. There were several times in speaking with Niki, Michelle, Tim's aunts...that I teared up thinking about what the family is going through...all the uncertainty....
TIM-I have 3 words for you "JUST DO IT"....do it for Griffin, do it for Ava, do it for Erica, do it for Kevin, Niki...do it for all your "brothers and sisters" at MCSO and surrounding areas...but most importantly DO IT FOR YOU!! You can do it Tim....All the support you need, it's here for you-ALWAYS! We are proud of you and the strides you've made thus far.
I just want to give my best wishes and support to Tim and his entire family.
It's amazing and extremely uplifting to hear the good news about Tim's recovery from Kevin each night at roll call.
Monday night, Mr. Johnson spoke to us at roll call and told us that one of Tim's goals is to come back to work.
Tim, I have no doubts that you'll be back. Best of luck to you, keep up your hard work, and I'll see ya soon.
I heard a number of people raise the same issue that Reddog has. The DSA has had a history of picking and chosing who they go out of their way for. There have been deputies that have been injured or became ill without the benefit of workers' compensation. And there wasn't anywhere near the support that Tim's family have received. The biggest issue I've heard about the money was it was just given to the family to use as they see fit. Which on it's face could have the potential for misuse. If the money had been designated or a specific use...like college trust funds for the children no one would even raise the issue. If Tim can never return to the department he will receive 80% of a deputy's salary tax-free for life. Not exactly a small percentage of his salary. He will also be covered for his medical care for life as well as whatever future damages are recovered from any lawsuits the family files.
God speed Tim, We all hope there's 100% recovery.
Hi Tim! Just want you to know that you are being prayed for on a daily basis. We know that you are strong and have so much to fight for. Keep on going! Love ya, Deanna
Hi,
It's Niki, Tim's sister in law. I have just finished reading the statements made by bowhntr. I appreciate your concern for the kids, truely I do. And thank you for wishing Tim a speedy recovery. But....
I would like you to understand some things. Along with anyone else questioning this family.
1-The money is for Tim, Tim's wife and children. We as his family have no access to the funds. It was never meant for us. In fact, Tim being in the hospital has cost us all quite a bit of money driving to the hospital daily, paying for parking daily, eating at the hospital daily and the list goes on. But it doesn't matter to us, it is all about Tim for us.
2-Yes, he will receive 80% of his current base income. But catch the words CURRENT BASE INCOME. That means never getting a raise again, ever! Even when the price of living changes or the kids need braces or cars or college or weddings or the heater goes out or something, Tim will still be getting only 80% of 2007 base income from a newby at the department. Now, Tim has only been on the department for only 4 years. So his base income is not very high as you can imagine. Deputies don't make that much money. That is why Kevin, Tim and many, many other deputies work plenty of over time to make the months bills. This is not a job people take becuase they have dreams of being wealthy someday.
Tim can never work overtime again. Well at least not until he has the ability to work again. We have no idea how long that will be, or if it will ever happen, we hope, but don't know the future.
3-Erica, Tim's wife, worked and brought in an income like most deputies wives have to do to pay the bills of a family. She has a new full time job now, taking care of Tim. Many may have an opinion of this, but for a long time, Tim will be a full time job. He will have to attend therapy 5 days a week, and need constant supervision at home, not to be left alone. Workman's comp doesn't come pick Tim up for therapy, or stay there with him or bring him home. They also may only help with an aide in the home for a short time IF tim needs nursing care, we are not sure yet. That again means someone in our family needs to be there 24 hours a day. Plus, please don't forget that Tim and Erica have 2 small children, ages 2 and 1. If you have ever been an active parent that takes care of two small children at the same time, you would know that doing that in itself is also a full time job.
So, when is Erica to find time to also go to work to supplement what they are missing from her past income and Tim's now reduced past income? In her sleep? Oh wait, sorry, she can't do that either, she needs to be there at home every moment even when Tim sleeps.
4-As far as the DSA choosing to help us more than others, talk to them. I know nothing about how they choose who to help more or less. I would assume by the severity of the illness or injury. Brain trauma is major, remember we thought Tim would die when they begin to help us, ok. I am just grateful they did help us. We are so grateful for them stepping in. They have been tremendous with us. They are a wonderful group of people. All the deputies have been worderful. I am sure if Tim would have gotten broken legs instead of a brain injury, I am sure we would not have received the amount of help we did. But we would have received help. And that would make since wouldn't it? But I promise you there would have been deputies still step in to help, that is what they do. It is a brotherhood like no other. I have experienced this firsthand with my own husband and medical problems. The association didn't step in like this either, but the deputies were there for us from the start. And keep in mind.
5-You talk about the money being used as Tim and Erica see fit. Well, do you feel someone else should have the decision making powers to spend the money given to them for thier undetermined future? It is for Tim and Tim's wife Erica and their children. I trust Tim and Erica's decisions as to how to spend the money. You all have to also. Everyone likes Tim. He is a good man, father, friend, husband, son, brother, etc. That is why people trust him, that is why people helped they way they did without question.
6-Last but not least. GOD and GOD only has given Tim a second chance. Tim was not sapposed to make it off that freeway. We know that. But he did. He was not sapposed to make it past the first day in the hospital, but he did. He was sapposed to be in a coma for at least 6 months, he woke up after 2 weeks. And the list goes on and on for all the miracles that have happened with Tim. We are true believers and have strong faith in god. We are not the type of people who scam.
We have been so blessed with all the prayers, concerns, hugs, and more. The money is just money. Not to say that the family isn't grateful for what you all did for Tim and his wife and children, but it is money. It will help make up for lost wages, that is it. It will not help make up for the lost time Griffin and Ava have had away from daddy. Or the lost time Erica has had from her husband or her undetermined life. Or the lost time that Missy(tim's sister) has had away from joking and hanging out with her brother, or the loss of Michelle(tim's sister)her daily phone calls with Tim, or Kevin's loss(tim's brother), Tim was his best friend, his little brother, and buddy at work. The loss of Tims parents, can you imagine seeing your own child lifeless in a bed and have no power to do anything about it? The list goes on and on since Tim has such a huge family and a huge amount of friends.
And please don't think for one moment that if Erica could give back all the money to have Tim back and whole she wouldn't. She would give it back in a second. We all would give anything for him not to have to go through what he does daily.
On a better note...
Tim had another surgery today. It went pretty good by the way. He is recovering well.
We love him. We respect him. We are proud of him.
This blog site is for people to share prayers and for us to update to the best of our ability. Not for people to question this family. Please keep in mind someday Tim will read all this. All of it. I want him to be happy and not think, how horrible it was for us to be questioned by people or something like that.
But those that question or are negative are few and far between thank goodness.
Most of you all here reading this know our hearts and care for us. And we thank you for that.
God bless everyone and have a wonderful day.
Niki
To all concerned individuals:
Please, I ask that you stop worrying about what the money will be used for. This is my brother and he has endured ONE of the greatest sacrafice's that you can make being a police officer/ deputy sheriff. We all expect to go home after our shift has ended. I know my brother was not expecting to have his life "turned upside down". My brother was in good spirits before this accident because I and other deputies talked and teased him a half hour before he was hit. I know we all are expected to make a sacrafice but we never know when that day comes. My brother's day came, he was not suppose to live according to the deputies at the scene and the doctors at the hospital. My brother is a "miracle man" according to the doctors. As most of you have read, my brother has only been on the job for four years. Not alot of time to save money or collect a pension and reap the rewards of our 457(b) deferred comp plan that requires YEARS to make something.
My brother has a long, difficult life ahead of him right now. If by chance my brother is not able to come back, he will need alot of help. I don't think it's a "crime" to ask the taxpayers, the citizens of milwaukee and surrounding areas to help a deputy that has sacraficed his life for you. When and I hope it does not come to a possible duty disability for my brother, he will be locked in at the rate of pay right now. We don't make terrible money but when your only on the job for four years it hurts. If anything can change to help out future and past deputies, lets start with the county supervisors and ask them that when a deputy is injured on the job and cannot work ever again, to move their pay up to "top deputy" pay. This would not cost the county alot more money since an injury on the job is very rare. This would really make it easier for the family of an injured deputy. That deputy would have made it to top pay in his/her career so why not "reward" them for their sacrafice? I know my brother would have stayed his entire career with the sheriff's dep't. Some of you know my brother from working with him, some may have been cited by him and all his friends know that my brother's integrity is very high and he would not want to "scam" anyone or profit from an unfortunate event. Please show him the respect he deserves and continue with positive messages because I am proud of him no matter what and I want him to feel proud of himself and to never have a doubt in his mind that what happend on January 12, 2007 was not his fault nor prevent him from living a life with his family as he see's fit with the money that was DONATED from the goodness of other people's hearts. Please.
Sincerely,
Kevin Johnson
here is a list of the county supervisors:
Chairman Lee
Holloway
5th District Mark A.
Borkowski
11th District Gerry
Broderick
3rd District Paul M.
Cesarz
9th District Toni M.
Clark
2nd District
Elizabeth M.
Coggs-Jones
10th District Lynne
De Bruin
15th District Dan
Devine
17th District Marina
Dimitrijevic
4th District Willie
Johnson, Jr.
13th District
Michael
Mayo, Sr.
7th District Ryan P.
McCue
8th District Richard D.
Nyklewicz, Jr.
14th District Roger H.
Quindel
18th District Joseph
Rice
6th District
Jim "Luigi"
Schmitt
19th District John F.
Weishan, Jr.
16th District Peggy
West
12th District James G.
White
1st District
MILWAUKEE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Courthouse Room 201, 901 North 9th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233
PHONE: 414-278-4222 FAX: 414-223-1380
Page last updated 03-11-05
Hi all-
The last couple days since Tim's surgery he has had many confused moments, sometimes all day. It is hard for us, but even more so, it is extremely hard for Tim.
Please pray for him to find peace to sleep at night and energy to do all his therapies during the day and to have clarity again at all times.
Hi, My name is Cheryl. I heard about Tim's accident on the news and have been following your comments every since!
First I want to start by saying "I am very sorry for your family". Words can not express the hurt "outsiders" are feeling as myself, but on the other hand, the pain and every other emotion that the Johnson family is dealing with is something NOBODY ever should have to endure!!!!
Second I feel I need to say this on behalf of the Milwaukee community!! For these people that are SOOOO self centered are the ones worrying about how this "money" is dealt with, how about you or your brother or your mother or your sister or your son or your daughter endure such a situation that "you" need some sort of help. I would put everything I own on saying - IS YOUR HAND GOING TO BE OUT FOR THE PAYOUT? Please, don't misunderstand when I say that!! This is not a slam against the Johnson Family, it is a slam for these jerks that have enough nerve to even comment about how this money is used!!!!
Has any of you "questioners" ever needed any help from anybody, chances are that you have and you accepted that "help" with no question, OK maybe a question of "How much "help" am I going to receive?" with NO QUESTIONS why someone is helping you!!! These people need to look at the whole picture, and STOP BEING SO SELF CENTERED!!!!!
Tim,
I am hoping everyday, life is changing for the better!!!! From what your family has posted, (for the people that are truly concerned) your recovery sounds like a long haul, but TIM, you probably don't feel this right now, but you WILL recover and be back on the streets again, being with your family, and putting this all in the past. I wish I could say or do something for you and your family to make this all go away!!
The Johnson Family,
I see how caring you all are from what is posted!!! You are what is going to bring Tim home!!! Please to the whole family, the "questioners" that are trying what ever they can do to TRY to bring this family down, and I see you are all staying as strong as possible, even with all of this crap people want to put in your heads. ALWAYS REMEMBER: JEALOUSLY WILL NOT YOU NOWHERE!! also, DON'T ARGUE WITH IGNORANCE, it will beat you up and these morons get exactly what they are preying on!!!
Bring home a great recovery and STAY STRONG!!!!
Cheryl from Milwaukee
Posted by dablond711 at 11:43 AM 0 comments
Check out Officer.com today(3/1). Tim's story and the Wisconsin Move Over law made a national website as the headline story. Thanks to WISN for the original post.
Also, I'm a little behind in this thank you, but a huge thanks to the neighbors around the golf dome who volunteered themselves and their vehicles to help ferry people to and from Tim's event. With people parking over a mile away, my family and I were grateful to have a ride back to my car that cold night. The people who drove us said they heard what the event was for and some of the neighbors along the road decided to ferry people back and forth in their mini vans. They could have been ticked off at all of the cars and people on their street, but instead, Tim's story inspired even more people. Thanks again to the "taxi's" that night!
Hi All-
I have not posted much about Tim's condition lately. It has become difficult to post the things that have changed. He i increasingly getting better. But to pin piont it exactly is very difficult in words.
But here goes, Tim is much less confused. He seems to understand things better about what happened to him and where he is and what is going on with him.
He is physically strong as the injury he received wasn't to his body, and that his motor skills are really good.
He is in good spirits. He is happy to see family and friends walk in the door. He recognizes us all so far.
He isn't agitated any longer. That is such a blessing. It was hard to watch him be agitated for us all, so imagine how he felt.
He looks handsome. Same old Tim to me. He's still got that "I am a stinker smile"
Gotta love his humor! He's still got it. Sweet as could be. Smiles all the time.
So thank you lord for answering all the prayers that have been asked for Tim. You are a faithful god! Thank you!
Niki
Hi my name is Rachelle Jackson and I work with both Tim and Kevin. I am praying for Tim's recovery and strength for the family. I want to leave with you my favorite scripture, Isiah 41:10, "So do not fear, for I am with you, do not be sidmayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold ;you with my righteous right hand." We sometimes wonder why God allows things to happen to us, but we know that He knows what is best. He will use this as a testimony for Tim to show others the power of God. To know that no one but a God could heal and deliver such a one from a time such as this. God will continue to give you peace in the mist of the storm, and give time strength to continue to fight. My continued prayers and blessings be with your family. Again, Thanks for the updates on Tim's condition.
YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TIM CAME HOME TODAY!!!!!!!!!
HE RESTING NOW, BUT I AM SURE HE IS HAPPY TO BE HOME WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN FINALLY!
THANK YOU LORD FOR BEIG EVER SO FAITHFUL TO TIM IN THIS TIME OF HIS WALK IN LIFE.
I AGREE WITH RACHELLE. THANKS RACHELLE FOR THE WONDERFUL VERSE.
LOVE TO YOU ALL, NIKI JOHNSON
To everyone who reads this blog.
Please write the county supervisors that I left in an earlier blog above and lets get the ball going on helping past deputies and future deputies that may have been injured on the job and never reached top pay. I was told by one of our union board members that the county can change this or it can be changed with one of our contracts. I would like to see the county supervisors take the initiative to make the pay change themselves. It would say alot coming from them without our union proposing the change. So please let your voice be heard and send them a message or call them to change this.
thanks,
kevin j
Hi I just want to say I'm so glad to hear all that has happened for Tim. I am praying and believing for a complete and speedy recovery I know this may seem impossible but God showed me a scripture for Tim. It says Genesis 18:14 Is anything to hard for the Lord? Let me tell you the answer is no. I hope one day I will get to meet you Tim and I pray that God may do what he is always so faithful to do and that is bring good out of Bad. God bless, my heart and prayers go out to you, your family, and all who have been affected.
Hello Everyone -
Thank you for your continued support! Although Tim is home, it certainly doesn't mean he is fully recovered. Well wishers have asked me when he will be going back to work. My answer is still "we have no idea". He is home - yes, but he is far from being anywhere near his fullest potential of recovery. We are grateful for the continued interest from the media, but they seem to be making it sound as though because Tim is out of the hospital, he is "recovered". This is just the next step in his long journey to recovery. Each step toward progress brings new heartbreak and challenges, so please continue to keep Tim, Erica and their children in your thoughts and prayers.
Thank you again for your care and support!
Michelle
Hello All-
I thought I would come on and give you an update. Tim is home and really working hard everyday in therapy. His therapy continues and will until Tim is at his full potential. He is really doing great for all things considered. We are very proud of him everyday.
I look at the past blogs I have posted here on his condition and am so glad he can read this and go back and see how far he has really come over the last two months.
He is a miracle!
Thank you all for your continued support and prayers!
God Bless!
Niki
Hi Tim and Erica,
Just wanted to say that I really enjoyed seeing you both the other day. Tim, please keep in mind what I said about the fact that you are a walking miracle, and NO ONE on this planet has the right to tell you what your limitations are. You have defied what Man was intended to live thru and endure. You are a remarkable person, and I feel very honored to know you. You are truly an inspiration to so many people. I love the fact that you are WANTING to get back out there and show everybody up as to what you can do. Good for you Tim! You show us all up; and Godspeed!
Sincerely your friend, Janel
I hope all is well and Tim is on his way to an awesome recovery. I heard about Tim's page through a law enforcement friend on myspace.com. I have since made a banner and have done some bulletins about Tim's story. You can see the graphic I made and have sent out to everyone at my url. www.myspace.com/swat_ghost
God Speed Tim !!!
TIM! It was awesome hanging out with you and your family at the 4th of July parade! Keep working hard!!! We are here for you if you need us!!!
PS-LOVE MY NEW BRACELET~
The Schlueter's
Hello Deputy Johnson, You need bed time stories read to you to stimulate the brain. What brings you to Milwaukee, WI? Get well, soon. The hard earned dollars are the treasures to the Brewers bringing home the pennant! Linda
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