NBA Sportscaster, Ernie Johnson Jr. Supports Life House Atlanta

ATLANTA - Oct. 9, 2023 - PRLog -- Beloved sportscaster and host of TNT's "Inside the NBA", Ernie Johnson Jr. could talk all day about the NBA, but that subject was not what mesmerized an audience of 150 at the recent Inaugural Fall Breakfast at the Cherokee Town and Country Club in Buckhead. The event was sponsored by Life House Atlanta, an organization dedicated to providing a home away from home for families and their children with life-limiting illnesses. Here, families will enjoy a temporary getaway from the constant demands of round-the-clock care, at no cost. Life House Atlanta (www.lifehouseatlanta.org) hopes to break ground in 2025.

Johnson is the author of the memoir "Unscripted: The Unpredictable Moments That Make Life Extraordinary". He spoke eloquently about "blackberry moments", the unpredictable occasions that make life extraordinary. In his animated 30-minute presentation, Ernie charmed the audience with recollections of precious moments with his adopted son Michael who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Not expected to survive past his teens, Michael lived until age 33. His legacy of love and courage continues to inspire his father, Ernie Johnson Jr., who shared with the audience their special way of communicating 'I love you' by hand sign.

Michael's medical needs were complex and around the clock, so Ernie experienced first-hand the demands of full-time caregiving. "I've been down that road as a family, so I've seen the need, and I know what it feels like about not having time with your wife," said Ernie.

Prior to Johnson's remarks, Jonathan Cottor, founder, and CEO of the National Center for Pediatric Palliative Care Homes (www.ncppch.org) spoke about the need for pediatric palliative care homes in Atlanta and across the U.S. There are only five of these homes in the U.S. compared to over 54 in the U.K.  Life House Atlanta will be the first of its kind in the Southeastern U.S.

"Give families a little reprieve now and then," said Ernie Johnson Jr., "and thanks for investing in the dream of building Life House Atlanta."