Today we’d like to introduce you to Judges & Ikeeta Johnson.
Hi Judges & Ikeeta, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Judges: Ikee’s heart stopped on May 18th, 2008, while walking into our lawyer’s office to complete his green card application. Suddenly, our 24-year-old son, who was headed to the restroom with him, yelled, “Mom! Dad fell!” I quickly dropped all I was carrying and ran towards the bathroom. My husband was unconscious and non-responsive. Having worked in the health field, with years of CPR training, and our son being a certified lifeguard, we instantly started CPR. Being the first time for both of us, we continued CPR until advanced help arrived. Yes! He was revived and lived to give us six more wonderful years of beautiful memories.
Ikeeta: I am very passion and caring. I see the joy it brings almost all females in my immediate family. At a young age, I decided to follow the footsteps of strong, dedicated, compassionate and God-fearing females in my family that I modeled after. Working in healthcare feels like a calling, and what better way to give back to society than to help others learn how to save a life. As a daddy’s girl and watching him deal with heart conditions most of my life, I became interested in cardiology. As a teacher, I love to consume and instill knowledge. As part of the “job-hopping generation,” I find solace in being my boss!
This company was founded in 2019 by Judges and Ikeeta Johnson. Judges has over 25 years of healthcare experience, Ikeeta, also share 15years of experience. Ikeeta earned her nursing assistant certification at the shy age of sixteen and could only work in limited capacity and settings. Since then, she has worked in various medical settings and major hospitals in North Carolina, to include UNC, Duke, and on the cardiac floor of Moses Cone in Greensboro. The task of building a company from the ground up is going to be a learning experience. All it took was one successful conversation with my daughter (Ikeeta), who had already built a successful cleaning business of her own from scratch.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth ride. The morning we were scheduled to take our CPR instructor course, Ikeeta became anxious and woke me up around 3 a.m. My mother, her grandmother lived with us. Ikeeta felt uneasy and decided to check on her grandmother and immediately noticed my mother was having difficulty breathing. She was then admitted to the hospital per EMT assessments. Leaving Roxboro for Charlotte that morning for our 8:00 o’clock class was not only stressful but very difficult. Thank God for a loving sister who called out from work that day to be with mom at the hospital while we traveled to Charlotte.
Covid 19 changed the way of living for most of us which also stands as a factor. Faith, determination and a focused vision are few factors why we are still here.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Judges: My career has primarily been working with mental health- home health, therapeutic foster parenting, social work/human services, and as a certified substance abuse counselor.
Ikeeta: I’ve always bounced back and forth between childcare and healthcare. But after my practicum and as the lead teacher of a classroom of 21 three-year-olds, I’ve concluded that I like healthcare a little more. We both can say, we are proud of making change in people’s lives as we “work.”
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Judges: Some memories I cherish from childhood would be jumping in puddles and playing in the rain. Another childhood memory would be saving money for the ice cream cart on Saturdays afternoon.
Ikeeta: One of my favorite childhood memories is sitting on the porch in the summertime with my dad listening to music.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cherishedcpr.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherishedcpr/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CherishedCPR/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cherished-cpr-durham
Image Credits
Sumayya Saifullah
