A mother carries on her son's legacy by trying to educate the future
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A simple act of kindness can be uplifting. But when it comes with a special meaning behind it, it can be motivating.
From the first time, he was in awe of the glowing candles, Connor Johnson was all about his birthday cake.
"Connor was my only child who loved sugary, chocolatey gooey stuff, right? Birthday cakes are one of his favorites," Connor's mother, Michelle Johnson said.
A distracted driving crash took Connor from the Johnson's in 2011.
"I no longer have the privilege of buying him a birthday cake," Michelle said.
And there were some incredible cakes over the years. Recently, the passing time struck Michelle.
"I realized it's been 10 years since I haven't bought those 10 birthday cakes. I haven't bought them so I went out and bought 10 birthday cakes."
All with a card from Michelle.
The card read, "In memory of Connor, enjoy your cake, from Connor's mom."
No one knows who first said it. But Michelle Johnson is living it: we are not meant to outlive our children.
To the thousands of drivers that fly by each day, the two white crosses on the side of i-79 go unnoticed.
"For Connor, he was 21 years and 13 days oh, he had his whole life ahead of him. And you know in a heartbeat. It was gone," Michelle said.
"One moment of inattention on the driver's part caused her to veer from that center lane. Trouble at least the length of a football field and a straight line directly into a fixed light pole, killing not only my son but her sister who sat directly behind him," Johnson added.
Rising out of her profound grief, Michelle has found an outlet.
"If I can save another family, from experiencing the pain that my family lives with every day, then that's worth me speaking up," Johnson said.
So, she travels to schools, to tell teen drivers about Connor's story.
"They have the power to stop the number one killer of young people across America."
The message is direct: buckle up, drive the speed limit.
"Speaking up, if something doesn't feel right in the car," Johnson said.
And she pushes a message for parents too: model how you want your child to drive.
"Kids are watching us from the time they're forward facing in their car seats," johnson noted.
So with the support of her family, Michelle pushes the message for Connor.
"He was relentless. And for him, I'm going to be relentless," Johnson said.
Michelle now works with Impact Teen Drivers and is getting ready to make more school appearances this fall. Her quest is for everyone to understand the danger of even the slights distraction behind the wheel can be deadly.