Robert's Story

Photo of Robert JohnsonIn the summer of 2011, Robert J. Johnson fell ill and struggled to find the source of his condition. An active and healthy 28-year-old man, Rob began to exhibit signs of flu-like symptoms, fatigue, and weakness. After multiple hospital visits, testing, and a seemingly endless wait for a diagnosis, Rob was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare blood disorder in the family of histiocytic disorders. After months of fighting, Rob passed away from complications of HLH on December 24, 2011.  

As a proud graduate of Northeastern University and a successful analyst at Nomura Securities in New York, Rob lived his life to the fullest. He loved his family with every bone in his body.  If you were friends with him once, you were friends with him always. His smile was contagious, and he loved with all of his heart. He was a traveler, a hard worker, a fighter, and the biggest 49ers fan many of us will ever meet. His loyalty and bravery are unmatched. He was an inspiration to all who knew him and the devastation of losing him will never be forgotten.

For those of us who loved Rob, it will never seem right that he is gone. Things like this are not supposed to happen to people like him, but yet, they do. We owe it to Rob to live the best life we can live as individuals and to raise as much money as possible to further research on HLH so that others can have the chances he didn't.