Girard woman’s dying wish is to help others with theirs

GIRARD — Diana Johnson has had to take a serious look at her bucket list.

Johnson, 38, has spent much of her adult life in severe pain due to a rare disorder called common variable immune deficiency. This June, her doctor told her that her CVID was terminal.

CVID wipes out the body’s immune system, and Johnson is no longer responding to treatment. A common cold could kill her, and Johnson knows it’s only a matter of time before a cold or the flu or some other routine virus does just that.

Johnson cycled through a range of emotions – denial, bargaining, grief – but she said she’s reached a point where she’s able to feel acceptance, at least most of the time.

“After being sick for 15 years and having them say, ‘OK, this is it, we’ve done everything we can do,’ it was sort of a relief,” Johnson said. “It was like, ‘OK, well, I’m going to go home now. There’s no pain there.’”

But before she goes, Johnson’s only wish is to grant the wishes of others. With the help of family and friends, she’s established the Drop in the Bucket Foundation, a reference to her bucket list.

For the complete story, read Friday's Vindicator and Vindy.com