Connie Johnson prepares to say goodbye
After seven years of battling breast cancer, Connie Johnson has begun to prepare for the end.
The sister of actor Samuel Johnson and mother-of-two gave an emotional interview on The Project on coming to terms with her terminal illness and how it will affect her two sons.
Connie, 40, explained that her doctors told her she was too weak to continue chemotherapy. She stopped treatment for breast cancer in July.
"They told me I couldn't continue on the chemo because my organs were struggling too much," she told host Carrie Bickmore.
Connie also revealed that she’s scared to die. "I have this thought all the time where one day I'll be holding the children's hands... then I'll be gone. My pain will be over, and theirs will just be beginning."
Even in her final moment, Connie is giving back, counting her work with Love Your Sister, the cancer foundation she started with Samuel, as a source of comfort.
The Big Heart Project, where she’s aiming to raise $1 million for cancer research, will be her “last hurrah” she says.
“I’ve got the Big Heart Project to distract me, to keep me busy. To make me focus on something other than myself. Over the past seven years I’ve gone into some very deep pits of despair. I feel like if I wasn’t focused on the Big Heart Project right now that’s where I would be,” Connie told news.com.au.
Connie also spoke about how her children are handling everything.
“Sometimes they ask me how I’m doing and I’ll say I’m feeling OK, so they’ll ask whether we can go to the movies,” Connie chuckles.
“Sometimes I see them grappling with what it means when Mum can’t get out of bed for a whole day.
“I feel like I’m letting them down, because I can’t be the Mum I want to be. I just don’t have the strength”.
At this year’s Logies, Samuel dedicated his is Best Actor Logie to Connie and Gold Logie win to supporters of Love Your Sister. The Love Your Sister community has raised almost $4.5 million in the fight against cancer. You can donate online here.