Connie Johnson awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia before tragic death from cancer

CONNIE Johnson, the hardworking philanthropist, was honoured with a Medal of the Order of Australia shortly before her tragic death from cancer.

SAMUEL JOHNSON dedicated his Australia Day nomination to her.

And today his late sister, hardworking philanthropist Constance Johnson is being remembered in her own right with a Medal of the Order of Australia.

On the day before she died five months ago, she learned she had been handed the gong for her tireless service to people with breast cancer.

Connie Johnson with her brother Samuel, who raised $1.75m for cancer support by riding across Australia on a unicycle.

Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove cut red tape for the 40-year-old mother-of-two, better known as ‘Connie’, by presenting her with the award in her hospice bed.

Sir Peter at the time described Ms Johnson, who had fought a long hard battle with breast cancer, as “a determined, inspirational figure and a great Australian”.

Speaking from the Australian of the Year awards yesterday, Johnson said he would not have been recognised if not for his sister.

Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove awards Connie Johnson a Medal of the Order of Australia at her hospice in Canberra.

“My sister set me a very clear task, and that was to remind every single young mum and woman to be breast aware,” he said at a press conference.

“There’s new mums popping up everyday, my work will never finish.

“I stand here on behalf of my sister Connie, nobody nominated today is here solely for what they’ve done, every nominee is very well supported by great teams around them.

“I’ve lost one half of my team, and I’m just adapting to trying to get it done without her.”

Ms Johnson made the heartbreaking decision to end her treatment in April last year, after battling several types of cancers from the tender age of 11.

Connie Johnson the medal in recognition of her tireless work for breast cancer research.

She turned her pain into passion, starting the Love Your Sister charity in 2012 with her brother, the pair working together to champion fundraising for cancer and aiming to raise $10 million to put toward research.

Since his sister’s death, the Secret Life of Us star — who won the Gold Logie for playing Molly Meldrum in the 2016 TV mini series — quit acting and made the charity his number one priority.

Connie Johnson with her brother, actor Samuel Johnson.

More than $7 million has already been raised.

In May, Ms Johnson organised for millions of five-cent coins to be made into a big silver heart for her final cancer fundraiser.

She died in September.