Loved Sheldon College teacher Tara Johnston’s brave breast cancer battle inspired by daughter Indigo

The family of a much-loved Brisbane teacher who lost her battle with breast cancer have shared how she “fought to the end” to ensure she had as much time with her young daughter as possible.

Tributes are flowing for popular Sheldon College teacher Tara Johnston who lost her battle with cancer this week.

THE family of a much-loved Brisbane teacher who lost her battle with breast cancer have shared how she “fought to the end” to ensure she had as much time with her young daughter as possible.

Former Sheldon College teacher Tara Johnston died on Wednesday morning surrounded by her family, husband Chris and three-year-old daughter Indigo.

Tara Johnston with her daughter Indigo and husband Chris.

She was 33.

The Mount Gravatt mother was diagnosed with a rare non-genetic breast cancer in November 2017.

“She did everything in her power to fight it and defied all the odds. She was told she wouldn’t live to Christmas and she did,” sister-in-law Ashleigh Hassell said.

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“She went out laughing, because she really did fight.”

Last year, a GoFundMe page was set up to raise funds for Ms Johnston and the community rallied almost $72,000 for the family.

Tara Johnston married husband Chris in 2014.

“We were all touched,” Ms Hassell said.

“It couldn’t have gone the way it went without the community.”

Ms Hassell said her sister-in-law was widely loved for her bubbly personality, that brimmed with positivity.

“She is the sister I never got,” she said.

“I had four brothers so it was perfect — she was perfect in every way.”

Ms Johnston grew up in a tight-knit family in Brisbane with parents Anne and Paul and her brother Mitch.

She met her husband Chris 15 years ago, and the pair travelled the world before marrying in 2014 and welcoming their daughter Indigo in 2016.

Ms Hassell said her goal was to live long enough for Indigo to remember her and the family was now on a mission to make sure she knew how special her mum was.

“We would like to do everything we can to keep her memory there for Indigo,” she said.

Sheldon College presented Ms Johnston with 1000 paper cranes.

Ms Johnston taught English, Literacy Support and TESOL to Sheldon College students from 2009-2017.

Last year staff and students united to fold 1000 paper cranes as a birthday gift for the popular teacher who loved the story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr.