The incredible bond between Connie and Samuel Johnson
DURING the final few months of Connie Johnson’s life, Australia got to bear witness to the beautiful relationship between two siblings.
DURING the final few months of Connie Johnson’s life, Australia got to bear witness to the beautiful relationship between the 40-year-old and her brother Samuel.
Connie’s family announced on Friday she passed away after a long battle with cancer.
Samuel has devoted the past few years to tirelessly raising money for cancer research.
In 2016, the star of The Secret Life of Us and Molly announced that he was quitting acting to focus on full-time charity work, in support of Connie and others. He had previously spent one year cycling around the country on a unicycle in 2014 to raise $1.75 million for cancer support.
“I cannot play pretend on telly while our families are falling,” he said after his 2016 decision to shelve acting.
“Cancer is the last true riddle of our time ... and I wanna be part of the push to solve it once and for all.”
At the time, Connie berated her brother for his bold move, saying “don’t go cutting off your nose to spite your face, dear brother.”
“Giving up acting Samuel? At 38 years of age? Bit soon wouldn’t you say?” Connie wrote at the time.
“Did you think about this? Were you drunk? There’s no rule against you talking to me before you make such a big decision. You and your tanties, you should’ve grown out of them by now silly,” she said.
However he ignored her advice and established the Love Your Sister charity, which has since raised millions of dollars, and created an online community of supporters.
In the last few weeks of Connie’s life, he wrote her a heartfelt letter, thanking her for “the memories, the giggles, all the inevitable lows and insane highs”.
“Thanks for showing me that life is what we make it to be,” he wrote.
“I wish I could soften your pain, or lessen your fear, or give you something tangible ... I’m proud to walk you to the hardest part of the road. The end. The only part of the road in your life that must sadly be travelled alone.
“Stand tall through that savage march, stand big and tall, dear sister, for you have lived a life to be proud of.”
During his famous Gold Logie speech earlier this year, he joked that the Johnson family home in Preston, Victoria, was the “the Prestonian Institute for the Temporarily Defeated”.
He dedicated his award to his sister and called on Australians to donate to cancer research.
Choking back tears he said: “On behalf of my beautiful sister Connie, who I dedicate this award to, I would like to urge any family watching affected by cancer or not to join us in our quest to keep our families safe from the terrors of cancer.
“Love your sister.org or Love Your Sister on Facebook. I love you, Connie, I love you.”
Samuel has spoken about the large role he will play in the lives of his nephews — Willoughby, 10, and Hamilton, 9, once Connie is gone.
“Connie’s got some pretty important jobs for me when it comes to her kids once she’s gone. I’ve got to make sure I get everything right,” the man nicknamed ‘Uncle Puddles’ told Woman’s Day.
Just this week, Connie and Sam were named the joint winners of the 2017 Golden Wattle Award.
The award recognises a person who has honoured Australia through their actions or achievements.
“Their love and care for each other has been a model for all Australians and the way they have shared their fight against Connie’s cancer with the Australian community, raising millions of dollars for research through their Love your Sister organisation, has been extremely generous and inspirational,” Wattle Day Association president Terry Fewtrell said in a statement.
“Their responses, when faced with great personal and family sadness and trauma, have touched the hearts of the Australian people and wonderfully expressed the spirit of the nation.”
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