On September 8 2017, Connie Johnson, older sister to actor Samuel Johnson, lost her battle with cancer. The beloved mother and loving wife was in hospice care, surrounded by her family.
Her relationship with her brother Sam was an inspiring one. He has dedicated his life to raising much-needed funds for cancer research through the Love Your Sister charity.
Anyone who has a brother or sister knows it can be a complicated relationship. One minute we love them, the next we loathe them. For the most part, however, a sibling bond is unbreakable.
We look back at some of Samuel and Connie’s best sibling moments.
After Connie was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer, Sam took on the arduous challenge of riding around Australia on a unicycle to raise money to fight the disease. The actor covered 15,955 kilometres in 364 days – a world record. He also managed to raise $1.4m which was dedicated to research.
At the end of his journey, Sam rode into Melbourne’s Federation Square and hugged it out with his sister in an emotional reunion.
Like any brother, goofing off was just a regular part of this sibling dynamic.
Even in the tough times, these two were there for each other. Sam showed support for Connie by shaving his head alongside her earlier this year.
WATCH: Sam and Connie discuss her cancer battle (story continues after video)
Sam returned to our screens to play Australian icon Molly Meldrum in Molly. Despite rave reviews, Sam announced his retirement from acting and is now dedicating his time to raising money for Love Your Sister and the wider community suffering from cancer.
During this year’s TV WEEK Logie Awards, Connie and the LYS group cheered Sam on from the living room. In preparation, the team baked Logie-shaped cookies and snapped their reactions throughout the ceremony. Connie was ecstatic to see her brother take home the coveted Gold Logie.
“I think if you don’t win one, they don’t mean anything, but if you win one it means the world!” Sam told TV WEEK.
Following his win, the actor said he owes everything to his sisters.
“My whole life is influenced by my sisters,” he said. “I can’t really imagine anything happening without their positive influence.”
WATCH: Connie and Sam sit down with TV WEEK (story continues after video)
Sammy Seal and Connie Cottonsocks always had a strong, playful relationship.
Our thoughts are with Connie’s loved ones during this time.
To donate to cancer research, head to the Love Your Sister website at: www.loveyoursister.org
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