Tyler Perry is getting showered with love from the sick man he basically rescued from a Mexican hospital -- and the guy says he'd STILL be trapped if not for Tyler.
Stephen Johnson says Tyler is his real-life superhero for covering his $14,000 hospital bill and paying to fly him home to Atlanta. Remember, Stephen fell ill while on vacay ... and says the hospital was holding him until he paid for his treatment in full.
Stephen tells us he just got out of another hospital in Georgia, and he's finally on the mend after being diagnosed with pancreatitis, diabetes and a kidney infection while in Mexico -- and he has a special message for Tyler.
It's pretty wild ... Stephen says the hospital staff in Mexico was doing the bare minimum to keep him alive before his story went viral, and caught the attention of the media and Tyler.
He's still shocked Tyler would do so much to help a stranger, and he's convinced there's no one as kind.