Loving son's selfless £380,000 acts for his mum after she overcame poverty to raise her family

A loving son has spent the equivalent of £387,000 ($500,000) retiring his mother who to single-handedly raise him and his siblings.

For years, Kimberly Johnson juggled working on an assembly line for Ford and sold hats for commision all while raising four kids. Life was a “struggle” for the 56-year-old and her family, especially because their father was not on the scene.

And despite also suffering from , she never wavered or took the easy way out, her eldest son Dion Coopwood, 40, revealed. As a token of his gratitude, he built her a $150,000 (£116,000) house in his back garden, gave her a limitless American Express credit card, bought her a $70,000 (£54,000) Porsche McCann and has spent more than $250,000 (£193,000) taking her on luxury trips in the past year alone.

Speaking about her new life, she said today: “I’m so grateful for what I have. I’m grateful that God put it on Dion’s heart to take care of me. I thank you for including me in your journey of what God has done for you. I’m thankful and very grateful."

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After retiring his mum in 2022, Dion - the CEO of an online credit improvement firm - moved her from her native Chicago to his new home in Atlanta, Georgia in the US.

He custom-built her a one-bedroom home next to the 5,000 square foot property, in which he lives with his wife Keturah and three children; Jaelyn, 16, Jordin, 15, and five-year-old Journii. Having a limitless credit card allows her to treat herself and her grandchildren whenever she pleases.

On top of this, Dion frequently jets her and the rest of the family away on luxurious holidays. Their recent trips include Jamaica in May where they stayed at a five star $8,000-a-night (£6,200) hotel for a week and Dubai last December which cost more than $100,000 (£77,000).

A trip to Mexico in June cost more than $70,000 (£54,000) and included a beach-front villa, which had its own private chef and bartender. They went out one night and racked up a whopping $14,000 bill on a luxury meal and drinks.

Next up is the Maldives, where Dion promises to treat his mother to “anything she wants”. Explaining the reasoning behind his generosity, Dion said: “I watched my mum struggle throughout my childhood. I watched her make ends meet and she always put food on the table. Every , she found a way to get whatever we asked for.

"We didn’t live in luxury but it was a loving household and she raised us properly. The thing is in life, we all make choices and decisions. Some people don’t work two jobs and raise four kids and make ends meet.

"They put them up for adoption or put them with their parents or take drugs. She never did. So now, for me, my responsibility is to take care of my mum - it goes without saying. She took care of me and my siblings. Now I’m repaying her."

Dion has been able to afford this lifestyle after enjoying a successful career as a salesman in a variety of industries including life insurance, cell phones and solar. Since founding his company called , Dion has helped thousands of people improve their credit scores.

Dion, who was a promising basketball player and went to Southern Illinois University on a full scholarship before pursuing a career in sales, said: “Life has drastically changed for me. I don’t have any financial worries or constraints and I’m able to take care of my wife, kids and my mum.

"Life has really changed for the better. It’s almost like really living your dream life. I am currently living in heaven on earth. For a very long time life wasn’t easy. I got my ass kicked and I had to stay focused and push through.

"Being raised on the south side of Chicago isn’t something that’s easy to overcome. It was very bad. The only thing I grew up around was drugs and gangs. Getting a basketball scholarship to go to college gave me a route out. And when you come from where we lived, on government assistance and food stamps, obtaining real wealth is still incredible.

"That’s why I’ve kept on pushing through and now I’m enjoying the fruits of my labour. I hope my story inspires others to know that they can achieve their goals if they’re willing to put the time and dedication into it."