CCM artist Josh Wilson has raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars for his bandmate, Nathan Johnson, who suddenly lost his wife after childbirth.
"I have the privilege of knowing Nathan Johnson. He plays guitar in my band. Nathan loves life. He loves people. He loved his wife, Meg. He talks about her every day. Half of his posts online are about his 'boo,' his 'goddess,' his 'beauty.' Yesterday, Megan went Home to be with Jesus," Wilson wrote in the GoFundMe campaign description on Wednesday.
The cause of her death was not revealed; however Megan reportedly had a pre-existing heart condition.
Wilson explained that his friend witnessed the birth of his daughter, which he called a "beautiful miracle" named Eilee Kate at 2:40 a.m., and everything appeared to be going smoothly. The parents were able to spend six hours with their new baby before things took a turn for the worse.
"Megan held, fed, and burped little Eilee. Nathan says they couldn't sleep because they were too excited. They talked all night and morning. About 9 or 10 a.m., Meg started having trouble. By 11 a.m., she was Home," the singer continued.
Hours before Megan died, Johnson shared an Instagram photo of his wife holding their newborn baby: "Happy Birthday Eilee Kate Johnson," he captioned the photo. "Megan was/is a professional and feels great. Her heart worked perfectly the whole time and Eilee introduced herself quickly and smooth. I am a rich man!!!"
The singer put together the GoFundMe campaign to help Nathan care for his newborn daughter and mourn the loss of his wife without worrying about financial needs.
"You can give time, meals, and money. Let's give so much more than we think we can. Believe me, Nate needs it more than us right now," Wilson said. "Let's raise enough money for Nathan to get off the road for at least 6 months. Let's cover his bills and meals so he doesn't have to think about any of that. Let's sleep over at his house and feed sweet Eilee so Nate can rest.
The goal was set for $150,000 and $151,137 was raised by 2,439 people in just seven hours. Wilson then changed the goal to $250,000, and after exceeding that goal, upped it to $400k. So far, $343,024 has been raised.
"Posting another update," Wilson wrote. "This page has been live for less than 24 hours. You all have raised a quarter of a million dollars. I can't quit crying. Nathan and Eilee, we love you. Meg, we miss you. I'm raising the goal again. We're sending this girl to college."
"Needless to say, Nathan is devastated. There are no words for this, so I won't really say much more. Here is what I know. Nathan is a wonderful man and an amazing father. He loves his daughter dearly," Wilson said of his friend and bandmate.
The campaign was picked up by another artist, RaeLynn, who shared the GoFundMe link with followers on Instagram, where hundreds of commenters expressed their grief for the family.
"I can't even imagine the pain he is going through right now in a time he should be happy," RaeLynn posted, in part. "Please pray for him and donate so he can take time off to be with his daughter. Life is about loving and helping each other. Jesus I pray that you be with this sweet family."
For more information on how you can help Nathan and Eilee, visit the campaign here.
