Connie Johnson's brave battle with breast cancer, as well as her unrelenting efforts raising money and awareness alongside her brother Samuel with the organisation Love Your Sister, has inspired thousands around Australia.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Among those thousands is Sydney-based artist Marie Ramos, who has been touched by the Canberra resident's story.
"She's just been so selfless, and she started fundraising in the first place so no other family would have to go through what they are going through," she said.
"She's got two young kids and so do I, and as a mum, I don't know what I would do if I was in the same situation."
The artist has been dedicating herself to raising money for Love Your Sister since March through a giant artwork comprised of 2000 ceramic tiles.
Each of the tiles contain an imprint of different peoples' fingerprints, shaped like a heart.
At the centre of the work is Connie's own fingerprints, which has been painted red.
"It represents Connie's huge and selfless heart and everything that she has done for cancer research, and it's also symbolic of the people who have passed away," Mrs Ramos said.
"It also symbolises the unity of the community to continue on with Connie's work." After collecting imprints during the past four months in Sydney, Mrs Ramos is now travelling interstate to help expand the artwork, starting in Canberra last Sunday. The artist was at Questacon helping make imprints of Canberrans that will be added to the final work.
"We're over the halfway mark now. We've made 1000 tiles already and raised $50,000. Our target is to donate $100,000," she said.
With the unveiling of the work scheduled for October 30 at The Garvan Institute in Sydney, Mrs Ramos said she wanted to speed it along, after Connie is now being cared for in a Canberra hospice.
"We have been updating Connie with how the project is going," Mrs Ramos said.
"Connie was overwhelmed and very grateful and excited [about the work], and she did express that she would love to be alive to see it completed."
Connie has a miniature version of the work, which is made up of her own fingerprint as well as those from her family.
More than $2.2 million has already been raised for Love Your Sister through the Big Heart Project.
The event saw the Lyneham netball courts completely covered in donations of five-cent coins during May.
Mrs Ramos said she hopes the large installation will be seen as a testament to Connie's endurance.
"I would love for it to be a legacy of Connie and something tangible that she leaves behind," she said.
Andrew Brown
I've been part of the Canberra Times since 2016, after reporting at local papers in Sydney's north-west. Since starting at the paper I've had stints on the Sunday Times, on the early morning breaking news round, and now as a general reporter, covering the ins and outs of anything and everything happening in Canberra, with a focus on health.
I've been part of the Canberra Times since 2016, after reporting at local papers in Sydney's north-west. Since starting at the paper I've had stints on the Sunday Times, on the early morning breaking news round, and now as a general reporter, covering the ins and outs of anything and everything happening in Canberra, with a focus on health.
