Wake Forest HS teacher remains positive after losing home to fire

“Material things never meant a lot to me,” the Wake Forest High School special education teacher and wrestling coach said. “I’m a believer and I believe Christ has a plan for everything we go through.”

It took 15 minutes for fire to destroy Hardymon’s Franklinton home Monday afternoon.

A neighbor told him what happened.

“She told me to get home, my house is on fire,” he said. “I followed the Louisburg fire truck into my property.”

A low-hanging power line snapped after getting caught onto a modular home on the back of a truck, Hardymon said. The line then ignited his home.

Hardymon watched as his home burned to the ground.

Tough circumstances are nothing new for Hardymon. At 18-years-old, he ended up in North Carolina after running out of money while on a nationwide search for his father.

Hardymon relies on his deep faith to get him through difficult circumstances.

“I have a good father and he takes care of me,” he said. “I never once even flinched about who takes care of me.”

Prior to the fire, Hardymon won a $10 gift card for teacher appreciation week. He gave the gift card to another teacher, said Jodi Deskus, the school’s SAP coordinator.

“This is the epitome of Johnny,” she said. “He is the kindest and most generous person. He is hard-working, dedicated, relentless in his efforts to help kids and that spans over many years at our school.”