Woman Raised $400K For Man, But Addiction Struggle Continues

A man who came to fame when he helped a woman get home after she broke down on a major highway continues to struggle — including in an ongoing battle with addiction — despite his newfound fortune.

Johhny Bobbit Jr. gained fame in November, when it was revealed he gave his last $20 to a Burlington County woman so she could get gas when she broke down on I-95 on her way to Philadelphia.

As a result, Kate McClure and her boyfriend, Mark D'Amico launched a GoFundMe campaign to help Bobbitt, ultimately raising over $400,000 to help the former Marine who had been homeless for over a year.

About five months later, Bobbitt is reportedly living in a camper on McClure and D’Amico’s property in Florence, Burlington County. He wasn’t able to buy his dream truck, the one he has isn’t working and he doesn’t have a driver’s license.

He recently told The Philadelphia Inquirer he’s battled addiction for several years. “I didn’t get involved in drugs overnight,” Bobbitt told the newspaper. “It’s going to be a struggle for the rest of my life.”He said his addiction began when he was working as a paramedic and on his family’s farm in North Carolina. He said he was a “functioning addict” before things fell apart and he “needed drugs just to feel normal.” He moved to Philadelphia to start a new, but a job he had set up fell through and he fell back into the habit. He’s in rehab now, though, and was sober for three weeks as of the time of the report.

The story is a familiar one to anyone who has struggled with addiction directly, or had a family member who was an addict. As Chris Herren stated during a presentation at Highland Regional High School in 2015, “I’ll be an addict every day. Each day is about not giving in to my addiction.”

There are steps addicts can take to fight their illness, and there are plenty of programs to help, particularly in Burlington County. Under the countywide "Straight ... to Treatment" program, participants can also safely turn in any drugs or drug paraphernalia in their possession to the Evesham Township Police Department and not be charged with a drug possession offense. Last year, the county received a $200,000 grant to help inmates battling addiction.

Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-3), who represents parts of Burlington County and Ocean County as a New Jersey Congressman, is a member of the Bipartisan Taskforce to Combat the Heroin Epidemic. Rep. Donald Norcross (D-1), who represents Maple Shade and Palmyra and parts of Camden and Gloucester counties, is also a member of the task force.

See related: South Jersey High School Grad, Pro Wrestler Kurt Angle Develop App To Help Recovering Addicts

In Bobbitt’s case, he has help in the form of McClure and D’Amico. He wants to start a new life for himself, but acknowledges it will be difficult. He cares more about happiness than anything else, and knows what he has to do to achieve it.

The attached image was posted on the Paying It Forward GoFundMe Page.