KATIE’S LIGHT · EDUCATION · AWARENESS · COMMUNITY
In Katie’s memory. For every family’s future.

A life full of light.
A purpose born
of love.

We had 22 years with our daughter Katie. Years filled with laughter, adventure, determination, and a love that still shapes our lives.

Today, we carry her light forward through fentanyl education, community connection, and outreach for Mississippi’s students and families.

Meet our KatieWhy we’re speaking up →
Katie smiling at the wheel of a boat, with blue water behind her

Katie Johnson · Forever loved. Always our daughter.

Celebrating 22 years. Carrying her light forward.
Meet Katie

She wanted to experience it all.

Katie was our middle daughter—ambitious, adventurous, and determined to make the most of life. She brought that spirit to school, to family trips, and to the everyday moments we now treasure.

She loved exploring with us, spending time on the lake with her sisters and friends, and being with her dog, Remi. These photographs tell the story of the daughter we knew and loved.

Katie with her parents and sisters together on the beach
A daughter. A best-loved smile.Katie and her mom, Kim, enjoying spa time together at a senior party during Katie’s senior year.
Three sisters. A lifetime of love.Katie and her two sisters, together at the beach. A bond that remains at the heart of our family.
Katie and RemiHer companion then. A treasured part of our family today.
She wasn’t missing that waterfall.Two miles in, quieter than usual, but no complaints. Only back at the car did we learn she was ill. We remember how much she wanted to be part of every adventure.
Countless hours on the lakeDad at the wheel. Katie, her sisters, and friends bouncing across the water. Family memories we wouldn’t trade for anything.
Always ready for an adventureA smile that still brings us back to that moment.
The little moments were everything.A day fishing together. One of the many memories that make up a life.

Select any gallery photograph to see it larger.

Richard and Katie’s dog Remi visiting Katie’s gravesite, with yellow and white flowers
From grief to hope

Love doesn’t end.
It finds a purpose.

On September 12, 2022, our daughter Katie died from fentanyl poisoning. She was 22 years old.

There are days when grief means sitting with Remi at her gravesite. Father’s Day is one of them. There is no way to replace the years we should still have together.

“I wish I had known more.
I wish Katie had known more.”

Those words are part of why we speak. We want families to have clear information and students to receive meaningful education before they encounter these dangers.

We cannot change what happened to Katie. We can tell her story, ask difficult questions, and work toward a future in which more families get to keep making memories.

— Richard and Kim Johnson, Katie’s parents
Draft narrative adapted from your family’s shared memories.

Education before tragedy

Every student deserves
to understand the risks.

Our goal is to improve access to age-appropriate education in Mississippi schools about fentanyl and other dangerous drugs. We want students and families to understand the risks, recognize an emergency, and know where to turn for help.

01 / EDUCATE

Make the message clear.

Bring accurate information and personal stories into conversations with students, parents, and educators. We are preparing to expand our school presentations and learn from each experience.

02 / INFORM

Share research and lived experience.

Richard and Kim review fentanyl-education policies, laws, and successful strategies used in other states and share that information with Mississippi legislators, educators, and community professionals. Their goal is to inform constructive, nonpartisan discussion about improving awareness and education in Mississippi.

Katie’s Light does not support or oppose political candidates or parties. Any legislative activity will remain limited and secondary to the organization’s charitable and educational programs.

03 / CONNECT

Build a community coalition.

We want families, students, educators, health professionals, recovery and harm reduction organizations, first responders, and community leaders working together.

What we are learning from other states

Katie’s Light reviews other states’ education requirements and implementation experience, listens to Mississippi educators and public officials, and shares research and family experience to help inform discussion about improving fentanyl awareness and education.

How prevention and harm reduction fit together

We are grateful to the people saving lives through overdose response, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support. Education and prevention belong alongside that work. Every life matters, including the lives of people currently struggling with substance use.

Know the risks

Information can start
a life-saving conversation.

A pill’s appearance is not proof.

Illegally made fentanyl can be pressed into counterfeit pills. Someone may take a drug without knowing it contains fentanyl.

Read the CDC’s fentanyl facts ↗

Medical and illicit fentanyl differ.

Fentanyl has legitimate medical uses. Illegally made fentanyl in the unregulated drug supply presents a serious poisoning and overdose risk.

Understand the difference ↗

Know how to respond.

Unresponsiveness and slow or stopped breathing can signal an overdose. Call 911, give naloxone if available, and follow emergency instructions.

Learn overdose response from CDC ↗

Sources reviewed September 2026. A dedicated Mississippi and Rankin County data section will be added after figures, reporting periods, and definitions are verified.

This can touch any family. We want these conversations in every community, regardless of income, background, or social standing.

Showing up together

Our community.
Our shared responsibility.

Our work began with our family’s loss. It continues through walks, school conversations, and people willing to listen and help.

Watch & Listen

Black Sheep Recovery Warfare · Episode 65
Kim Johnson: A Mother’s Loss, A Mission to Save Lives
Kim shares Katie’s story and the family’s mission. Listen to the episode.Watch the 2026 Walk for Lives filmHear our story on The Recovery Lab · Episode 122
September 2025 · Flowood

Our first Walk for Lives

A community gathering to remember loved ones and raise fentanyl awareness.

April 2026 · Jackson Academy

Taking the conversation to school

Richard and Kim presented alongside Cal Mayo on fentanyl and mental health.

2026 · Madison

Continuing to walk for lives

Another opportunity to bring families and the community together around awareness.

Looking ahead

Listening. Learning. Building.

School outreach, coalition conversations, and researching and sharing successful fentanyl-education approaches used in other states.

A coalition begins with people

There is a place for you
in this work.

We are seeking people who want to help make education accessible, support families, and turn concern into practical action. Parents and students. Educators and health professionals. Recovery advocates and community leaders.

Explore ways to help
The family behind Katie’s Light

Her family.
Still carrying her light.

Richard Johnson

President · Katie’s dad

Richard is Katie’s father and President of Katie’s Light. Alongside Kim, he has helped organize Walk for Lives events, shared Katie’s story through podcasts, and spoken with students at Jackson Academy. His work is rooted in a father’s love and the wish that his family had understood more about fentanyl before losing Katie.

Today, he is working with Kim to build community relationships and help expand meaningful drug education in Mississippi schools.

Kim Johnson

Vice President · Katie’s mom

Kim is Katie’s mother and Vice President of Katie’s Light. She and Richard have turned their shared grief into community outreach, awareness walks, and conversations with students and families. She has shared Katie’s story through school presentations and podcasts, helping others understand the person behind the loss.

Kim’s work honors the 22 years they had with Katie while helping carry the family’s message of education, prevention, and hope.

A family commitment. Both of Katie’s sisters are involved in Katie’s Light and serve on its board. Together, the family is helping shape a mission grounded in love for Katie and care for other families.

All board members serve as volunteers and receive no compensation for their board service.

Carry the light forward

Help education
reach more families.

Future support will help offset the costs of education, awareness events, research, and community outreach. All board members volunteer their time and receive no compensation for board service.

Before Katie’s Light was formed, our family personally funded earlier awareness efforts. Katie’s Light has not yet accepted contributions or begun financial activity.

A note about our nonprofit application

Katie’s Light is preparing to apply for federal recognition as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. IRS recognition has not yet been granted. We are not currently representing donations as tax-deductible.

Planned support from Home Options

Home Options plans to allocate a portion of its annual earnings to Katie’s Light to support education, research, community outreach, and other board-approved objectives. Details of this commitment will be shared as they are finalized.

Visit Home Options ↗