Connie Johnson (fundraiser)

Constance "Connie" Johnson OAM (1977 – 8 September 2017) was an Australian philanthropist. She suffered from bone cancer at age 11, uterine cancer at age 22 and finally breast cancer at age 33. Johnson founded the Love Your Sister charity in 2012 with her brother Samuel Johnson, aiming to raise $10 million for cancer research. At the time of her death the charity had raised almost $6 million. She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia on 7 September 2017 and died the following day, aged 40.

Connie Johnson

OAM
Samuel and Connie Johnson.jpg
Samuel and Connie Johnson
Born
Constance Johnson

1977
Died8 September 2017 (aged 40)
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
NationalityAustralian
Known for
Relatives

Biography

Johnson was born in 1977 and grew up with older sister Hilde and younger brother Samuel.[1] Their mother committed suicide when Connie was aged 4.[2][3] She started at a new school almost every year; her father was a writer and moved around a lot so that he could write.[2][4] At the age of 22 she met her husband Mike and in 2001 they moved to Canberra where they ran the Book Lore bookshop in Lyneham together. They married in 2004 and Mike took her name.[5] They had two sons; Willoughby in 2006[6] and Hamilton in 2007.[7]

Johnson was first diagnosed with bone cancer in her leg at age 11. At the age of 22, she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. Both tumours were detected early which aided successful treatment. In 2010, at the age of 33, after being misdiagnosed by three doctors, Johnson was told she had breast cancer.[4] The cancer spread to her lungs, liver, spine, pelvis and knee.[7][8] She was given six to twelve months to live. Johnson joined with her brother, Samuel Johnson, to start the Love Your Sister charity on New Years day 2012,[6][9] and to co-write a book titled Love Your Sister: How far would you go for someone you love? which was published in November 2016.[10]

In April 2017, she announced that her body could no longer withstand her medications and she was ceasing all treatment, and withdrew from public life shortly afterwards.[11] Johnson was presented with the Medal of the Order of Australia on 7 September 2017, by the Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove; for services to people with breast cancer.[12][13][14] The medal was to be presented on Australia Day 2018, but the ceremony was brought forward due to Johnson's poor health.[15] Johnson's death was announced by Samuel the following day on the Love Your Sister Facebook page.[16]

Love Your Sister

Johnson started the Love Your Sister Charity on New Years Day 2012 with her brother Samuel.[6][9] The charity supports the Garvan Institute of Medical Research[5] and aimed to raise $AU10 million for cancer research.

In February 2013 Samuel left Melbourne on his unicycle and rode a world record 15,000 kilometres (9,320.57 mi) around Australia in an effort to raise one million dollars for Love Your Sister.[11] The ride ended after 364 days in February 2014 and raised almost $1.5 million.[17]

The Big Heart Project aimed to break the record for the longest line of coins, but when they were inundated with donations the plans changed; they created a heart that people could fill with buckets of 5 cent coins. The project raised $2.535 million for the charity. $200,000 was donated to The Cancer Support Group (formerly The Eden Monaro Cancer Support Group).[5][17][18]

Charitable donations received via the Love Your Sister website and the Not Another XXXXing Swear Jar campaign increased the funds raised by the charity to $5.6 million at the time of Johnson's death.[5]

Awards
  • Medal of the Order of Australia[13]

Books
  • Love Your Sister: How far would you go for someone you love?, Hachette Australia, 29 November 2016 ISBN 9780733637490

References
  1. Rowbotham, Jill (16 January 2016). "10 Questions: Samuel Johnson, actor, 37". The Australian. Retrieved 9 September 2017. ...When I set off to ride a unicycle around Australia in 2013 to raise money for breast cancer — my sister Connie has it — he MC'd my launch event. Afterwards he was having a few drinks with my eldest sister Hilde, and told her about the series but said he had no idea who'd play him. She said: "What about Sam, you idiot?"...
  2. Johnson, Connie; Johnson, Samuel (2 February 2021). Love Your Sister: How far would you go for someone you love?. Hachette Australia. ISBN 9780733637490.
  3. Abi, Jo (8 September 2017). "Connie Johnson loses her long battle with cancer". 9Honey. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  4. Doherty, Megan (22 November 2013). "Record in the making as man rides unicycle 15,000km". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  5. Doherty, Megan (9 September 2017). "Vale Connie Johnson: 'You made us all kinder'". The Age. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  6. Sullivan, Rebecca (9 September 2017). "Connie Johnson dead at 40: Samuel Johnson's sister loses cancer battle". news.com.au. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  7. Stevenson, Amy (9 September 2017). "Samuel Johnson's sister Connie passes away". Yahoo7 Be. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  8. "Connie Johnson dies aged 40". 9News. 8 September 2017. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  9. Groch, Sherryn (9 September 2017). "Love Your Sister's Connie Johnson dies from cancer". The Border Mail. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  10. Johnson, Samuel; Johnson, Connie (29 November 2016). "Love Your Sister". Hachette Australia. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  11. Doherty, Megan (7 April 2017). "Love Your Sister's Connie Johnson's 'last hurrah' – raise another $1 million for breast cancer research". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017.
  12. Groch, Sherryn (8 September 2017). "Love Your Sister's Connie Johnson awarded Medal of Order of Australia in hospice". Latrobe Valley Express. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  13. "Events Canberra ACT 7th September 2017". Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  14. Sibthorpe, Clare; Francis, Adrienne (8 September 2017). "Connie Johnson awarded Medal of Order of Australia by Governor-General at Canberra hospice". ABC News. Archived from the original on 1 March 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  15. Groch, Sherryn (9 September 2017). "Love Your Sister's Connie Johnson dies from cancer". Bendigo Advertiser. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  16. Wahlquist, Calla (8 September 2017). "Connie Johnson, breast cancer awareness advocate, dies at 40". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 May 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  17. Doherty, Megan (10 November 2016). "Show the love for Love Your Sister's Connie Johnson and donate your 5 cent coins". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
  18. "Love Your Sister: Millions of five-cent coins make big silver heart for Connie Johnson's 'final hurrah'". ABC News. 11 May 2017. Archived from the original on 10 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
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