Connie Johnson was valiant in her campaign to raise awareness and much needed funding in the plight against cancer.
Samuel Johnson’s sister was surrounded by her loved ones including her brother, her husband Mike and their two sons Willoughby, 11, and Hamilton, 10, when she passed away earlier this month, at the age of 40.
One of Connie’s biggest warriors was The Project’s Carrie Bickmore.
The beloved TV personality has been a friend of the Johnsons for years, understanding their pain after losing her husband Greg Lange in 2010 to brain cancer.
Carrie used her profile to help consistently raise awareness for the Johnson family’s Love Your Sister charity, and because of her their cause was given the much-needed airtime on The Project from its very inception.
Her efforts did not go unnoticed.
Watch the incredible tribute in the player above!
Carrie has been backing the Johnson family for years…
And she has no plans on slowing down her efforts.
Before she passed away, Samuel helped his big sister “Connie Cottonsocks” film a special message of thanks to the Project star.
“Hi Carrie it’s Connie. I’m just leaving you a message to say thank you,” Connie explained from her hospital bed.
“Love Your Sister started as a small, grassroots organisation and Love Your Sister has become what it is because of your support. You supported us from the very beginning, when there were very few people who backed us.”
Continuing, “You backed us and you taking a gamble on us means that we have been able to build something really big and beautiful and something… a lot bigger than just a guy on a unicycle.”
“The importance of your work has been tantamount to finding a cure and we wouldn’t be here without you, so thank you.”
Connie’s public funeral will be held in Melbourne this Saturday.
The Gold Logie winner posted his big sister’s message with a note, revealing he was too overwhelmed during his appearance on The Project desk on Monday night and forgot to share the tribute.
“I buggered up one of Connie’s dying wishes,” Sam penned to his village.
“I’m not mad at myself though, coz perfection is unattainable and there’s like 1000 of her wishes that I got right, but I got a bit befuzzled during last night’s The Project desk talky bit, and I literally forgot the ONE thing Connie sent me there to do on the day of her funeral — to bring this vid to Carrie,” he wrote.
“We have a glorious gathering of new villagers now, who might not understand the history, but without Carrie, me and Con really do believe that LYS [Love Your Sister] wouldn’t have made it far enough to have a village to speak of.”
“On the last day Connie could talk, she asked me to film this for Carrie… these were literally some of her last words.”
“A village warning. This is confronting. But f**k it, we’ve always ‘gone there’ and we’re not going to stop now. It’s cancer. And besides, Connie said so.”
Connie’s family funeral was on Monday and held in her hometown of Canberra.
Her public memorial will be held in Melbourne on Saturday.
The Molly actor told The Project later that evening of her passing, “It was beautiful, it was exactly how she planned it.”
“It seems weird to apply the word ‘perfect’ to a funeral, but it was perfect.”
As for Connie’s darling boys and her husband, Sam says “all things considered” they’re “faring well.”
“Mike’s strong, he proved that today, he’s a good man,” Sam remarked.
“And those kids are covered. Don’t worry about those kids mate, they’ll be fine.”
Before Connie passed away she was bestowed a Medal of the Order of Australia for her remarkable endeavour to raise not only millions for cancer research, but build the awareness that is so needed.
Carrie spoke on behalf of the nation when she told Samuel, “What you’ve achieved together, in the face of what you’ve been through together, you’re just phenomenal.
“I’ve got no words for this, it’s incredibly sad. She was a wonderful woman, and she’s left an incredible legacy, and we’re all going to do everything we can.”
If you’d like to donate, leave the Johnson family a message or find out how you can help continue Connie’s work, head to LoveYourSister.org
