Catching Up...

Calling All Scrapbookers

Scrap Booking Memories will be donating some of the proceeds of the October Issue of their magazine to Love Your Sister. So if you are into craft, feel free to pick up the Pink Issue from Newsagents, Woollies or Coles from October 4 and 20 cents from every issue sold will be donated to LYS. The Pink Issue will also contain an article about Love Your Sister, so happy reading!

Thanks so much to the ongoing support of Scrapbooking Memories, and a huge thank you goes out to the masters for making such a beautiful and personal gift, all for women they don’t even know!

If you are into scrapping and would like to show your support to a magazine that supports Love Your Sister, please head to their facebook page and chuck them a like, you might just love what you see there!

Never Forgotten

In my last blog post, you saw that Love Your Sister lost two close friends, Moira and Josie, both to breast cancer. On Friday 11^th July I attended Moira Lye’s funeral. Moira herself found that one of the most confronting parts of having terminal breast cancer is attending funerals. Moira and I were both Canberra Mums who have done a lot of advocacy and fundraising around the breast cancer issue. Sam mentioned to me how much he thought we had in common, and the similarities brought it home to me at her funeral. Attending the funeral of someone who has died of the same disease that you are living with is very confronting, not only was I sad for the loss, and sad for her family, but I couldn’t help but think about my own fate, and picture my family and friends, and most of all my little boys in the same situation. We continue to think about Moira and Josie’s families and wish them some peace during this hard time.
Thanks to everyone on our Facebook page for sending thoughts, prayers and condolences to their families and for showing your love. Even people who had never met Moira or Josie were saddened by their passing and it was very touching for Sam and I to see such a show of support, and I am sure it brought some comfort to their families at a difficult time.

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Mornington Secondary College 

Mornington Secondary College is one of the high schools that Sam and I attended while we were growing up, and they have been a huge supporter of Love Your Sister. Their drum corps performed at the launch and return events, when Sam left and returned from his epic ride, adding much pomp and ceremony to both events. The textiles class made huge banners and flags for the events, and they vowed to match Samuel $1 for every kilometre he cycled through fundraising events at their school and in their local community. So while Sam has been pedalling, they have been busy fundraising, and last week, they presented Sam with the grand total at a school assembly held for Love Your Sister.

Through many events, Mornington Secondary College raised a massive $16 491!!!!!! This fundraising has all been driven and co-ordinated by the students themselves and Sam and I couldn’t be happier or more proud. Thanks so much to MSC and to the Mornington community in general who altogether have raised over $51 000 for Love Your Sister since February 2013. Amazing!

Every year Mornington Secondary College holds a Presentation Ball for the Year 11 Students. This year Sam and I were invited along and the debutantes were presented to us! Little ‘ole Sam and Connie eh? I had never been to a deb ball before, as I had never done my deb myself.

There were 54 couples, the boys looking handsome and rather dashing in their suits with tails and white gloves, and the young ladies looked a picture, so beautiful and elegant in their pretty white dresses. Each couple came out onto the stage and were announced, then the partner walked down the stairs and awaited hand out for her, then they walked slowly up to us and while they did, the school captains read out their interests, what they were studying and their future aspirations. I felt honoured that so many of the Students mentioned that Love Your Sister was their favourite charity in their summaries. Then the deb was presented, she did a curtsy, and her partner who bowed. We were so honoured to be in the role, but I’m not sure who was more nervous, them or us. They all did so well, I was so impressed with the rituals and dances and how they performed them.

The whole room was set up with Love Your Sister pink sashes around the chairs, pink chocolates and programs on the tables; the lads all wore Pink neckties and had pink roses in their lapels, the ladies all had pink bouquets. The principal, Sarah Burns, did a beautiful speech about Love Your Sister at the opening of the evening. After I mentioned in my speech that I had never done my deb, the school captains cooked up a little scheme. They arranged to have Sam and I presented at the end of the formal presentations. It was so cute and lovely, and while I was being walked down the dance floor on Sam’s arm to be presented I thought “Tick”. It was never a bucket list item, but the students found a way to give me an experience I would never forget, and now I have formerly presented. What a heart-warming experience.

Then we did a dance, which was absolutely hilarious, ‘cos neither Sam nor I know how to dance, then we swapped partners with some of the debs and their partners, and they danced properly while Sam and I fumbled clumsily around the room laughing awkwardly. It was so much fun. I would never have thought that I would be presented to society, fancy that!

Just before we left we were presented with some lovely gifts, The fabrics class had made me a gorgeous rainbow coloured quilt, and a bag to go with it. I love it, it is so bright and cheery and beautifully designed and crafted. It’s going to be my hospital quilt, because I like having my own blanky and pillow in hospital, it makes it feel less sterile. Thanks to Gene, Georgia and the fabrics class for such a beautiful and personal gift.

Mum and Uncle Long Legs

Well the last 5 weeks has been an interesting time for me. My lovely husband Mike has been away and I have been a full time single Mum during that time. Since I got diagnosed in July 2010 Mike has been caring for me, caring for our little boys, running our bookshops, and studying. He has an enormous load to bear and he takes it in his stride and somehow gets through every day with little sleep and loads of stress, but always appreciating the little things in life. He is an amazing, supportive and loving husband and I am so glad we share our lives together.

When I suggested that Mike take a hard-earned break, he was hesitant, and really didn’t want to leave me alone in case anything happened. He was terrified that I would take ill and die while he was away, or that I would get so sick that I couldn’t look after the boys. Not to mention that leaving a family run business for a month is a big deal, and big ask of the staff and very expensive. Eventually he took to the notion and excitement started to build, the doubt subsiding slightly. So in mid-June Mike set off on a lone adventure, leaving me to go full mumsy.

I had lined up support, a steady stream of family and friends coming to help. It was all scheduled down to the minute, and if anything did go wrong, there would always be someone here to help me out. We had Chris, (Mike’s Mum: Nanna) Sam, cousin Roger and Em (Little Miss Get It done, love Your Sister administrator) all coming up. Over the time of the ride, I was so busy that I didn’t really get to see a lot of my family and friends at all, it was all work, work, work, so this is a lovely opportunity for me to catch up with some loved ones, and the kids always love having visitors.

The boys are very excited to see their Nanna and their uncle long legs in the same week. Sam fits into the uncle role right away. Sam has the boys convinced that he can fly on a broom, but that he has had his license cancelled because he stole some undies off a clothesline while he was flying through some backyards recently. Willoughby asks when he is getting his license back as soon as he comes through the door. 

Koala Cuddles with Uncle Long Legs

The kids do their readers, times tables, geography and French every night, showing off to Nanna and Uncle long legs. I am free to cook the dinner, clean up and make lunches while the kids play Uno with whoever is staying at the time. I love that the kids don’t watch TV. Dad brought Sam and I up without a television, and at the time I hated it, I thought we were missing out, but I look back on our childhood now and I am so grateful that he gave us that life. Board games, cards, charades and eye spy were all we needed. On Fridays we have Friday night fun, where the kids get to choose a DVD and dinner, so we make pizzas or fish and chips and watch a movie together on Fridays which is great fun, and a great bribery tool for during the week, if I need it. I always thought I would never use bribery, but as soon as I became a parent I quickly realised that you do whatever works at the time, so the threat of losing Friday night fun mitigates any out of control behaviour nicely.

Of course we all miss Mike, but we skype and email, and I find that the kids adjust well to the change in primary carer very quickly. I think about the changes they will have to undergo when I die, and this experience gives me comfort. Kids are adaptable and they are resilient. Mike is a great father and those things combines make me think that they will be alright in the long run. Of course it will be hard for them, but they will adapt, just like they adapted to Mike’s temporary absence so well.

The Kids Favourite – playing Uno with Uncle Long Legs

I find the mornings difficult. I sleep a lot, I get very tired with the cancer and the drugs that I am on, but with Mike away I don’t have a choice, so I get used to the early mornings, though I do have the luxury of being able to go back to bed for a nap while they are at school. Something I am very grateful for. There have been a lot of times since I got diagnosed when I have thought “Why me?” It’s not that I wish it was someone else, I just wish it wasn’t me and I sometimes long for the life we used to have when I was healthy. But then I quickly remind myself that I have it pretty good really. I have the most supportive hubby in the world, and he lets me sleep when I need it. He does all the chores, prepares all the meals, makes all the lunches and does all the washing. He is very helpful and never complains or even expects a pat on the back for his efforts. Sadly, there are a lot of single mums who find themselves with a terminal diagnosis and they do not have the support I have, and nor do they have the comfort that their kids will be in good hands after they die. It’s all relative isn’t it?

Another thing I didn’t have much time for while the ride was on is scrapbooking and craft. Recently, we were given an amazing opportunity. Scrap Booking Memories run a competition every year, where they encourage scrapbookers from all around the country to submit four projects to be judged. Ten of the best scrapbookers from all around the country are selected, and throughout the next year they complete challenges that are published in the magazine. For the October issue (breast cancer month) their task is to make an art journal. The editor of the mag, Vanessa, thought it would be nice to give the journals that the masters made, to women with breast cancer who would like a handmade journal to write their most precious memories in. When I was first diagnosed, the first thing I thought was “How am I going to record all of our memories so the kids have something to remember me by?” As I am a mad keen crafter, I got right into scrap booking and I use that as a way to process my experiences and leave memories for the boys.

This gift, from the Scrapbooking Memories Masters to 10 women with terminal cancer is just so kind, and it highlights to me just how lucky we are at Love Your Sister to have the opportunity to help these women in some small way. I put a call out on Facebook, and we found 10 recipients for the journals, all of them living with a terminal diagnosis.

I wanted to make cards for the ladies, which would match their journals, so Sam and I could write a little message for each person in them. And let’s face it, it gives me a good excuse to do some craft, it’s for work, really it isJ.

We can’t show you the journals, as they won’t be made public until October, but here are the cards I made, inspired by the journals the masters made:

Goodbyes

Today is a sad day. Today it is hard to find the silver lining. It is dark and the tears are flowing. It doesn’t feel right to smile. Today I found out about two women dying on Saturday. They were both friends of Love Your Sister. They both had breast cancer.

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Moira Lye

Moira featured on the Love Your Sister TV Special. She lived in Canberra, wife to Greg and Mum to 5 children, the youngest of whom are twin boys aged 6.  She did not take her cancer diagnosis lying down. Moira was a determined person and she was willing to squeeze every last moment out of life, every precious experience and each little smile or cuddle with her children.
And she was selfless. Although she was terminal, and knew that there was no cure for her illness, she worked hard on fundraising and advocating on breast cancer issues. I am in awe of what Moira achieved in this arena, she really made a difference, and did it all with such humble grace.
Moira was the sort of Mum every Mum wants to be. Gentle and fun-loving, patient and caring, but balanced and intelligent in her approach to parenting.
Sam and the crew got to spend an afternoon with her, and they all came back raving about how inspirational she was, how incredibly life affirming it was to meet her, I really felt like she was what I should aim to be. A great mother. An advocate for breast cancer issues and someone with peace about her prognosis.

Josie Gaylor

Josie is wife to Kevin and Mum of 2 grown up children. Josie’s sister Jane contacted Love Your Sister while they were making arrangements for Josie’s funeral, when it became clear after fighting breast cancer for 13 years, that she was coming to the end of her time. Josie wanted to make a difference, she wanted to make her funeral meaningful for the future, and chose to ask her friends and family to give a donation to breast cancer research in lieu of flowers at her funeral. Jane contacted us to ask for a collection tin.
Obviously Sam was touched by her gesture, and given that she lived in Melbourne, he wanted to meet her. So they teed up a meeting and Sam went along to visit her at Cabrini palliative care a couple of weeks ago. You may be familiar with Josie, because she and Sam put a post on Facebook when they met in the hospice. Sam had a blast hanging out with Josie that evening, and she helped him face his fears of hospitals and end of life care.

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Without knowing them well these women have touched my life. I am in awe of their peace at the ends of their lives, and their selflessness. These two women were remarkable in their own ways, and have left big holes in the lives of the people who knew them best. I know they will be sorely missed by their families and friends.

I send my love and thoughts to Josie’s and Moira’s families and friends at this very hard time of loss and mourning, and thank them for sharing them with the world. I am so grateful for the way they touched my life. Thanks for being a part of Love Your Sister and for showing me what life is all about.

Whenever we experience a death of someone we know, even if it is not someone close to us, it calls to mind questions of our own mortality. It causes us to question if we are living life to the fullest, if we appreciate the beauty and love in our lives. We automatically think things like when was the last time I told my sister that I love her?

Death is a profound part of everyone’s life, and when the grief is at it’s purest and harshest, it can distort the way we normally perceive ourselves.

I have been incredibly lucky lately. My cancer has been stable. It is responding to treatment after being very aggressive and non responsive in the early stages of the disease. So it went from running rampant, to being under control, something none of us expected. I was so close to death a few times that my family were called in. My kidneys and my brain shut down. I was in ICU on machines and drugs that were keeping me alive in the hope that I would get better with support, and eventually be able to support myself again. I remember many doctors and nurses telling me that they were doing everything they could do to keep me alive, and to keep fighting.

Being that close to death, and living with a terminal prognosis everyday has caused me to live my life in the present and make the most of my relationships, because I have come to realise that that is all we have that matters in this life. But even with my diagnosis I have become remiss. I have stopped scrapbooking. This was number one on my bucket list. If nothing else, I want to leave lots of memories, photos and stories for my children to remember me by, and to give them lots of information about their formative years that they won’t be able to ask me about later if they get curious.

I am in a lot of pain tonight, on a lot of drugs and needed to take a bath to relieve some of the discomfort, so the bath is not the place for photos obviously. But tomorrow I vow that I will sort out some photos, write a note in the boys journals, or do a little bit of scrapbooking. I will do a little bit of memory saving for my kidlets. I will also give them an extra big cuddle and tell them again how much I love them.

Thank you Moira and Josie for reminding me to make the most of each moment. May you rest in peace, free from needles, nasty drugs, scans and bloodtests, surgery and endless appointments.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

How far would you go for someone you love…on a unicycle?

Hachette Australia is delighted to announce the publication of Love Your Sister by Connie and Samuel Johnson in November 2014.

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Published by Hachette Australia in November 2014, trade paperback RRP $32.99; e-book RRP $19.99

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A searingly honest memoir of family, love, cancer…and unicycles by the founders of the Love Your Sister Charity, Connie and Samuel Johnson.

Brother and sister team, Samuel and Connie Johnson have always been close. Faced with the news that they would soon be separated forever, they made a decision.

At the age of 33, Connie was diagnosed with breast cancer. Having already survived cancer twice in her young life, this time it was a whole different ball game. This time she will die, leaving behind her two beautiful young sons. As a young mum faced with her own death, she wanted to make a difference, and she knew just the way to do it ─ send her brother, Aussie actor Samuel Johnson, on a one-wheeled odyssey around Australia.

Why?

• To break the world record for longest distance travelled on a
• unicycle
• To raise $1 million for the Garvan Institute
• To encourage young mums to be breast aware

Their message is simple; don’t fall into the booby trap, be breast aware!

Samuel has pedalled all around Australia on a unicycle, raising money and raising awareness to make sure people get the message. He travelled through every state and capital city, to Australia’s eastern-most and western-most points, our country’s highest and lowest places, and has ridden more than 15 000kms, smashing the existing world record.

Love Your Sister reveals Connie’s fourth, and secret aim; to fix Samuel. Their story tells how Samuel cleared his diary, cleaned himself up, and kept his promise to his dying sister. All the boxes are now ticked, nearly $2 million already in the research bank and many young mums have been diagnosed with early - treatable breast cancer because of Connie and Samuel.

The Love Your Sister Charity…it’s a great cause. Sam’s a great guy. – Guy Pearce
Samuel, I take my hat off to you…big heart, big life, big love. – Cathy Freeman

So is the job done?

No.

Two million dollars is not enough, they are determined to keep up the fight. Connie vows to fight ‘tilher dying day, and Sam says the fight will go on a lot longer than that.
In their book, Love Your Sister, these two remarkable Australians share their tale, from their childhood, throughto the finish line and beyond in this truly unique story. Part memoir, part travel diary, part conversation, Love Your Sister is an inspiring and unforgettable book that shows just how far oneman will go for his sister.

A portion of the profit from each copy sold will go directly to The Garvan Institute.

Samuel Johnson is an Australian Actor with 20 years’ experience, best known for his work on The Secret Life of Us, Crackerjack, Underbelly II, and Ten’s Rush. In recent times he is more proud of his work as a breast cancer advocate and determined unicyclist.

Connie Johnson is a wife and mother of two beautiful boys. She has worked in the disability sector for 10 years and since her terminal diagnosis spends her time with her family, advocating on breast cancer issues…. and seeing just how much torture her brother will endure before he says no.

Follow Connie and Samuel on Facebook , Twitter - @loveyoursister and Instagram

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For further information about Love Your Sister, please contact Alice Wood at Hachette Australia on 02 8248 0883 or alice.wood@hachette.com.au

TV Special Screening, Melbourne, 29thth April 2014

Since I dared Sam to ride around Australia on a unicycle, over 3 years ago, we have had a team of dedicated and committed film makers following our journey and recording it all. 3 years of planning and work, fundraising and awareness raising has been compressed into just 42 minutes of footage, which makes up the Love Your Sister TV special which will go to air on Channel Ten on Saturday at 3pm. I was one of the lucky ones to get a sneak peek at the advance screening for all of the volunteers who worked on the show. The preview was held in Fitzroy in Melbourne and was a great opportunity for me to meet the people behind the production and thank them for their hard work, and amazing results.  

Alistair Marks came on board right at the very beginning and started following us around with a camera while we planned Love Your Sister. We scurried around trying to get sponsors, worked out who the beneficiaries would be, and planned all the logistics of the event for 2 years before Sam even pedalled a metre. And Al was there with us, recording it all. Then he went on the road as well, filming things like Sam riding off a 60 metre high bungee tower. Al also became the LYS stills photographer and took a lot of the best shots that have been seen on facebook and instagram throughout the journey.

Stuart Liddell came on board just before Sam set off, and Stuey has been there, camera in hand, for most of the journey around Australia. He has endured high temperatures, raging winds, heavy rain, and the highs and lows of life on the road. He has sifted through and painstakingly transcribed hours and hours of footage.

Both Al and Stuey have seen us at our best, and seen us at our worst, they have witnessed the highs and the achievements, but also those moments when we thought that Love Your Sister was never going to happen, when we were in deep despair. Together, they have made a TV special of the Love Your Sister story, out of hundreds of hours of footage, they have sifted through it all, and dug out the highs and lows and made our story come to life on the screen.

They have worked with a team of editors, transcribers, and production and post-production professionals to make this a compelling hour of Television, and they have done it all for free. The entire documentary was made with a budget of $0. So please, if you watch the documentary on channel 10 on Saturday, please watch the credits, and clap for the professionals who gave their time and expertise out of the goodness of their hearts to make this doco. Hopefully it will move people, make people cry, make people laugh, and with a bit of luck, make people pick up the phone and donate, so we can keep raising money to fight breast cancer.

Making a TV show isn’t just about the footage. So much happens to it before we see it. There is graphics, colour grading, sound engineering, and of course, music. All of the music in the Love Your Sister TV special is original and has been produced by professional writers and musicians who have donated their time. 29 people worked on the writing, performance and recording of the score. Leading this team of dedicated professional musicians was Nick Marks, and he has done an amazing job.

I was gobsmacked at the quality of the production. Al, Stuey and Nick, and the countless other volunteers who worked on it have made something especially meaningful for me. For me it is more than the TV special. For me it is also a record of me for my  boys. When they grow up a little, and they have forgotten the sound of their mums voice, and the way I looked when I smiled, they will be able to see me, larger than life on the screen, and they will be able to see the work that Sam and I put in to try to make a difference to people with breast cancer and their families.

Sam and I lost our Mum when we were 3 and 4, and things were different back then. There were no mobile phones to take photos and videos on, so we didn’t have a lot of photos of mum, and we didn’t have any footage of her. Being as young as we were when she died, neither of us have any memories of her at all. When I was diagnosed, my children were 3 and 4, and I feared that I would die and that my memory would die with me, that the kids wouldn’t have memories of me. Now I have seen this TV special I know that even if the memories of me fade, my kids will always be able to watch this and remember their mum and how much she loved them.

So thank you Al, Stuey and Nick, and everyone who gave their time to this project, for making these memories for my children.

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TV Special Credits, Thanks to every single person who made this TV special, so very, well, um, Special!!

Presented by
Guy Pearce

Produced by
Samuel Johnson
Alistair Marks

Directed by
Alistair Marks
Stuart Liddell

Post Production Producer
Stuart Liddell

Edited by
Stuart Liddell

with

Joao Dujon Pereira
Cindy Clarkson

Director of Photography
Alistair Marks
Stuart Liddell

Camera Operators
Alistair Marks
Stuart Liddell
Leighton Thomas
Jonno Hinton

Written by
Stuart Patch Liddell
Alistair Marks

Assembly Editors
Lucy Paplinska
Jaklene Vukasinovic
Lidia Costa
Bill Kalajdziovski
Belinda Fithie

Assistant Editors
Bill Johnston
Ariel Shaw

Supervising Editor
Peter Carrodus

Post Production Supervisor
Belinda Fithie

Transcribers
Brenton Matulick
Katherine Eden
Ben Praccus
Kate Candlish
Nadine Barry
Nadia Ali

Production Manager
Emma Rooke

Original Score Composed by
Nicholas Marks

Score Produced by
Richard Stolz @ Woodstock Studios
Nicholas Marks

Audio Engineer
Richard Stolz
Assistant Engineer
Luke Mullan

Musicians
Sam Hirschfelder (Drums)
Nick Martyn (Percussion)  
Luke Mullan (Percussion)
Matt Hayes (Electric Bass) 
Brendan Tsui (Electric Bass) 
Grant Higgins (Acoustic / Electric Guitars, Ukelele)  
Andy McGarvie (Electric Guitar, Claps and Foot Stomps) 
Ryan Lim (Electric Guitar FX)  
Jules Pascoe (Double Bass)  
Brae Grimes (Trumpet, Piccolo Trumpet) 
Alex Howroyd (Flute, Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Whistle) 

Vocalists:
Jess Palmer   
Kate Kelsey-Sugg  
Rachael Comte    
Lauren Glezer  
Noah Rosenbloom 

Strings
Lizzy Welsh (Violin) 
Phoebe Lindner (Violin) 
Christian Read (Viola) 
Caerwen Martin (Cello)
Kain Borlase (Double Bass) 

French Horn
Lauren Davine 
Matthew Coulsen
David O’Meara
Peter Marks 

Trombones
Simon Carter
Daniel McIlvride   

Licensed Music Credits
Hiatus Kaiyote
Leap Frog
Lace Skull
Mobius Streak
Ocelot

Hey Frankie
I see you
Leave
All I want
Sold

Charity Rose Turner
Into the Stream
Sailing Along

Alicia and Glass Lake
Luminous
Higher

The Box Tiger
Hospital Choir

Testimonials Supplied by

Graphics
Nick Cooper

Sound Mix
Paul Shanahan @ Final Sound
Laura Hesse @ Final Sound

Colour grade
Vincent Taylor

MoVI Operator
Cam Batten

Road Crew
Leighton Thomas
Alistair Marks
Jonno Hinton
Stuart Liddell
Sarah Hallam
Gemma Fisher
Amanda Nelson
Dion Szer
Nathan Wentwort

Thanks To
Connie Johnson
Hilde Johnson
Michael Johnson
Willhougby & Hamilton Johnson
David Johnson
John Johnson
Jamie Johnson
Optical Alkemi studios
Final Sound
Woodstock Studios
Ben Joss
Jon Barrie
Chris Walker
Karl Stefenovic
Carrie Bickmore
The Project
The Today Show
LateNite Films
Andy Kaos
Mara-Jean Tilley 
Andrew Giles
Kylie Sherwood-Kelly 
Charlie Rooke
Dez Stallard
Kate Radford
Steph Farmelo
Mel Van Deventer
Justine Bloome
Solitaire Paul
Tony Hayes
Mark Brewster
Jacob Zhivov
Andrew Mara 
Louise Munnoch
The Johnson Family
The Thomas Family
The Marks Family
The Liddell Family

Writing Holiday with Sam, 30th April – 10 May 2014

When Sam got back from his ride around the country, we were determined to take a few days off together and have a break, with no work, no unicycles, and no cancer to get in our way, just a nice little family holiday. That was back in February, and things have been so busy since then that it has taken us until April to get around to it!

But boy was it worth the wait. Sam took me and our other sister, Hilde, the healthy one, on a cruise. We went to Vanuatu and New Caledonia. His idea was that if he can’t take me to France, he could at least take me to a French speaking country. I can’t go to France because I can’t get insurance and if I get sick over there it would bankrupt the whole family, so he thought that a cruise, with a doctor on board to a place just a few hours flight from home would be a much safer bet. It was a good gamble, because I didn’t sick at all, and we didn’t end up needing health care. Yay!

None of us had ever been on a cruise before and now that I have been, I get why people love them so much. It was so much fun. But the best thing about it of course was getting time to spend with Sam and Hilde.

But it wasn’t all beer and skittles. Sam and I have a book deal, and are planning on releasing our memoir (about us, our family and our Love Your Sister journey) in November this year. This means we have a book to write, and we have to do it fast. So we did some writing most days, and shared ideas and talked about and planned the book. Since Sam is in Melbourne and I am in Canberra we don’t often get to sit down together and have a chat, and chatting about the book was great, he inspired me to keep on writing, to keep on getting the words on the page. We have written tens of thousands of words between us already, and we haven’t even gotten to the Love Your Sister bit yet. The story goes right back to when we were kids, and how close we were as youngsters, and how we battled through my first cancer together, and all the highs and lows since then.

So although we were sailing the pacific in a magnificent cruise ship, we were also working. No rest for the wicked I guess.

And I got my little French experience. We went to Noumea and Mare in New Caledonia where I got to practice my French and eat a crepe. The mixture of cultures is fantastic. You can order a crepe on the beach, and have it with a fresh coconut with a straw. Fabulous.

  

Sam enjoying the tranquillity of the Waterfall and lagoons at Port Villa.

 

We met heaps of people on board. Lots of people came up to us and said lovely things about Love Your Sister, I felt a little bit famous, it was weird, but wonderful. We made some friends, wrote some of our book and had lots of precious family time.

Thanks Sam for taking us on a holiday, and for believing that I could go on a holiday and not get sick. I have been living in fear for so long and you gave me confidence to try new things and live in the moment. I love you brother.

Mothers Day, Canberra, 10th May 2014

As much fun as I had on the cruise, I really missed hubby and the littl’uns. So it was perfect timing that I got home the day before Mother’s Day. They couldn’t wait until Sunday and gave me flowers and chocolates as soon as we got home as an early Mother’s Day present. But the real present was being home and healthy, and with my boys.

When I was first diagnosed as terminal I was given about 6-12 months to live. The cancer was thriving and very aggressive, and it seemed that nothing would stop it from bringing me down, until we stumbled upon a chemotherapy drug that seems to have turned off the cancer and made it inactive for a little while. So the cancer has been stable for quite a while now, and it has given me many precious moments with my kids that I never thought I would be blessed with.

Mother’s Day this year was no exception. I was absolutely showered with cuddles and if hugs alone could cure cancer, I would be better by now. They might not cure cancer, but their little hugs give me so much joy. I am just so happy that I have been able to survive this long, to see Willoughby and Hamilton grow from toddlers into big primary school aged boys. I am so thankful that the Xeloda halted the cancer in its tracks for a bit so I can enjoy this for a bit longer.

 

Of all the Facebook messages, tweets and emails we get from people, the ones that really affect me are the ones from other Mum’s fighting cancer. It almost stings to read about their stories and I am inspired by their strength and determination to hang around for as long as possible for their kids. So this Mother’s Day I would just like to say that I thought of all you Mum’s out there fighting this awful disease, and hoped that you get better and can put this cancer thing behind you. For the Mum’s like me, with a terminal diagnosis I hope your day was as special as mine was and that the little moments with your youngsters give you something special to get you through the hard times.

Boobathon, Sydney, 12th April 2014

This is a fundraiser that has been planned and co-ordinated by Dave Star and Lorna Gow. They have been working on it tirelessly for months, and their story is one that I would like to share.


Dave and Lorna own an art gallery and design business (Hand Of Law), and Dave stumbled across Love Your Sister last year and got involved, organising an art fundraiser at his gallery that raised over $10 000. Dave’s enthusiasm and drive is amazing.

So when Love Your Sister came to Sydney, we caught up with Dave and Lorna for dinner, to say thank you for all the work they have done, and to talk about the next fundraiser they are planning. We sat down to dinner, and Dave says “Well, should we talk about the elephant in the room?” and I wonder what on earth is going on, what is he talking about, then Lorna gives him a nod, and Dave proceeds to tell us that Lorna had found a lump in her breast and had just that week been diagnosed with breast cancer.

How is that possible? That someone who has done so much to raise money and awareness for breast cancer can then be diagnosed herself. I was shocked and saddened by this news. My heart sank into my stomach and I wept inside for Lorna and what she was about to go through. She quickly cheered me up with her positive attitude, and the good news that because the tumour had been found early, it looked like it would only need surgery and radiation. The news that she would not have to have chemotherapy, and would not need a mastectomy, that a lumpectomy would suffice lightened my heart and I thought “This is why we did it, this is why we started Love Your Sister. When I was first diagnosed as terminal, Sam asked what I wanted my legacy to be. I said I would like to prevent just one other women from dying, prevent one other family from going through what my family is going through. I thought quietly to myself, ‘Sam, we did it. We actually did it.

This reminder, of the true meaning of Love Your Sister, and the importance of early detection brought home to me the magnitude of what Sam is doing. Telling people, one by one, to be breast aware, not to fall into the booby trap. Visiting town after town and community after community on that silly old unicycle has been worth it. He really has made a difference.

So in the face of a new diagnosis of breast cancer, Lorna and Dave would not be deterred, the work would go on, and this would not stop them from organising another great fundraiser, even bigger and better than the Hand Of Law Gallery fundraiser they did last year.

While undergoing surgery and radiation, Lorna, with the help of Dave and the organising committee, organised the Boobathon. It was a family fun day, followed by a raffle and auction, going from morning to night at the Erskinville Hotel in Sydney. Thanks to ‘The Erko’ for providing your venue, and for supporting and hosting the Boobathon.

Today Show Cross

The day started with a live cross to the Weekend Today show link to segment I couldn’t find it online, don’t know if there is one. It was so cute, Leila McKinnon, the host just kept saying “Boobathon” she loved the word, and kept repeating it, she must have said it 27 times. It was a great plug for the event, and again, we are very grateful to The Today Show for their support.

Family Fun

There was face painting, a jumping castle, wrestler entertainers and a petting zoo, heaps to keep the kids entertained.

The wrestlers smashed Sam in the face with a cream pie, which the kids thought was hilarious (and yes, it’s true, I may have had a giggle too!) There is just something about Sam that makes him a perfect target for a cream pie!

 
Street Art

For the parents and other grown-ups there was a street art exhibit where several street artists painted huge paintings for the auction, live, in front of the crowd. The artists spent the whole day painting and creating, and watching the works evolve was really interesting.



The Artists, Ben Brown, Glenno Smith, Mike Watt, Sindy Sinn and Joel Moore worked away all day on 7 foot high paintings that were auctioned that night. The works fetched between $700 and $1600 at the auction, so that was a massive success, and some lucky bidders scored themselves some really interesting work.

 
I would like to thank all of the artists for donating your time and your work, between you you raised thousands of dollars for breast cancer research. Thanks.

Stalls, stalls and more stalls

There were a stack of stalls, showcasing all sorts of interesting bits and pieces, a highlight of this for me was the Breast Screen NSW stall.

Sarah worked all day informing women of how to do self-checks and booking women in for their breast screens. This is the frontline of the war against breast cancer. Checking for lumps and bumps and being proactive if you find anything is the key to surviving this disease. Around 15 000 women will get breast cancer each year in Australia, and 7 women die of it every day! Fewer women will die if we are as vigilant about early detection for breast cancer as we are with our pap tests. So if you haven’t had a mammogram and you are over 40, you are eligible for a free screen through Breast Screen in your State or Territory. For younger women, please do self-checks once a month, and ask your GP to do a breast check for you every time you have a pap test. Breastcancer.org has step by step instructions on how to check your breasts yourself - it’s easy and doesn’t take much time.  Mammograms aren’t effective in younger women, so self-checking is essential.

There is something I love about family fun days, fetes and festivals, and that is that you can buy cupcakes and other such goodies there. Diane and Katie donated their time, the ingredients and their baking prowess to raising money for Love Your Sister today, and in the weeks leading up to the Boobathon, and they make the BEST Honey Joys I have ever eaten. Thanks guys, you raised over $1000 today, awesome effort.

Other stalls included Dog Pack, Diane Tipping & Katies cakes, Elouera SLSC, Uno Amore Coffee, Ben Coles & the Super Wrestling Heroes, The Erko Hotel Sausage Sizzle and Shadow Lust Designs, Paddy the Baker and more. Thanks so much to all the stall holders for coming along and helping out. You all made a big contribution to the day, both by being there and donating to breast cancer research, so thanks heaps.

Bunnies Bunnies everywhere…..

 

A long-time friend and supporter of Love Your Sister is Louise Munnoch. Lu is living with breast cancer and she somehow finds some time and energy in her busy treatment, work and family schedule to help us out. She came along with her beautiful daughters and friends today to help out. Lu bought these piggy and bunny onesies (kindly donated by KIGU ) and the girls donned them and became our cutest supporters of the day.

Body Painting, slick, very slick indeed

There was an amazing artist doing body painting at the Boobathon. Her name is Anna and she runs a business called Brown Sugar Air Lab. Today she donated her time and artistic excellence to raising awareness and money for Breast Cancer. Check out her work! Isn’t it amazing? To see more about what she does, and heaps of pics of her Love Your Sister work, please click on the link and check out her facebook page, it is worth it.



Entertainment, tunes floating through the air

There were several entertainers who donated their time to creating a great ambience for the Boobathon. A huge thanks to Dave Favours, Sharon Gambill and Deny Kirkwood for coming along and contributing.



Thanks also to radio station KIIS 1065 who promoted and attended the Boobathon.

Going once, Going twice……………………..And Sold

If all of this wasn’t enough, and believe me, by now I was exhausted, but there was so much going on, I stuck around for more boobarific fun and fundraising.

The committee organised a huge array of raffle prizes and auction items, there were hundreds of them, too many to mention here, but a special thanks goes out to Rocks Brewing Co the main sponsor and Hungerford Hill Wines.

The auction was so much fun, people were bidding like crazy on art, dining experiences, sporting and music memorabilia and all sorts of things. Then, in walks Ray Meagher (also known as ‘Alf Stewart’ from Home and Away), shouting ‘Strewth’ and ‘Stone the Crows’. He came along to auction the Home and Away on set experience, and if he hadn’t become an actor, he certainly could have been an auctioneer. He spoke really nicely of Sam, in his younger days, when he appeared on the show as Sally’s first boyfriend, and auctioned the Home and Away experience for big bucks.

 

Then came a very emotional auction item. Sam’s Unicycle. I couldn’t believe that he was willing to auction it off. Something that held so much meaning and so many memories, he was willing to part with his unicycle that took him up Mount Kosciusko, the hardest and most gruelling section of his unicycle ride. And here he was, putting it under the hammer. I couldn’t believe it, my heart was in my throat and I felt sick, I wanted to cry. Instead I got up and asked for the microphone, then I pleaded to the bidders to make this worthwhile, for such a special item, something so close to my heart, I wanted to at least see it sell for a good amount, even though I didn’t want it sold at all.

Then the most heart-warming thing happened. Allan Sparkes bought the unicycle for well over $1000 and then came over to me, and told me that he had bought it for me, because the unicycle should stay in the family. I was so touched, I couldn’t believe that someone could be so kind. I talked to Allan and his lovely wife for a while afterwards and it turns out that he has written a book himself, he was a police officer who saved an 11 year old boy from a flooded storm water drain and then spiralled down into PTSD. To see more about his book, please click on the link. It’s an inspirational story about a wonderfully kind man.

Thanks Allan, due to your generosity, Sam’s unicycle, will stay in our family for ever now.

Drum Roll Please……………………And the Grand Total is…………………….???

After an amazing fun filled day and night, that was worked on, and contributed to, by hundreds of people, the Boobathon raised a massive……………….drum roll please…………..

$35 800. This is the single biggest fundraiser ever held for Love Your Sister, and I would like to acknowledge the organising committee for their amazing work, Dave Starr, Lorna Gow, Sean Dugan, Sharon Ayres, Simone Reid, Fern Anderson, Hannah Jeffers, Monique Galloway, Michelle Day and Marni Jenkin. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

Photo Credits

Thanks to Daniel Gibbs and Amanda Nelson for your photos of the Boobathon.

For a full list of supportors and contributors for the Boobathon please see below:

The Venues & Co

Hannah Jeffers

The Erskineville Hotel

Natalia James

Solotel

Jake Toivonen

The Bank Hotel

The Courthouse Hotel

The Organising Commitee

Sean Dugan

Sharon Ayres

Simone Reid

Fern Anderson

Hannah Jeffers

Monique Galloway

Michelle Day

Marni Jenkin

The Event Sponsors

Rocks Brewing Co – Main Sponsor

Especially Mark Feathers & Tim Fishwick

PM Electric

Hungerford Hill Wines

Electrical Project Solutions

Drawable

Lighthouse Tattoo

Stone & Wood Brewery

Megadeck Staging Systems

The Video Makers

Deny Kirkwood

Ash Brennan

Hired Gun Productions

Carlton United Breweries

In The Wings

Brendon Pavey

Tracey Cook

Darren Bottom

Luella Moore

Richard J Watkins

Katherine Moore

Rob (Paw Paw) Moore

Brittany Sheahan

Sammy McPherson

Karen Nettelfield

Omar Chicho

Chel Cherie

Christophe Domergue

Glen Steveson

Damien Flegg

Matt Mannix

Steve Lambrinos

Cameron & Liz Francis

Josh Roelink

Rick Scarfone

The Stall Holders

Lena Seeto & Dog Pack

Diane Tipping & Katies cakes

Glenn Cairncross & Elouera SLSC

Sharon Chapple & Uno Amore Coffee

Ben Coles & the Super Wrestling Heroes

Sarah Little & Breastscreen NSW

The Erko Hotel Sausage Sizzle

Bec Willis & Shadow Lust Designs

The Auctioneers

Rick Nicholson

Braden Walters

McGrath Real Estate Agents

Auction Donators

Kristina Echols & Channel 7

Ken Healy

Ray Ahn, John Needham & The Hard Ons

Deniz Tek

Ian Roberts

Graham Thompson

Kerry Ratcliffe & The Koru Studio

Glenn Koek

Ash Brennan

Hand Of Law

Samuel Johnson

Fern Anderson & the Sydney Swans

JCB Carpentry

Craft Design Realisation

Ithaca Cottage – Mudgee

Rick Grossman & the Hoodoo Gurus

Rob Hurst from Midnight Oil

Raffle Donators

Bondi Beach Cruisers

Lion Nathan

Tender Touch Landscaping

Sydney Pub Tours

David Jones

Pacific Brands

Joico Hair Products

Hungerford Hill Wines

Sharon Gambrill Laughter Yoga

Sydney Harbour Tall Ships

Frances Watts

Billiard Blitz

BridgeClimb

Ben Brown

Ash & Natasha Brennan

Dendy Cinema Newtown

Bohemian Diva

Sydney Swans

Macleay Hotel Potts Point

Corona Beer

FDC Group

Better Read Than Dead

Sydney Buddhist Centre

Suncorp Stadium

Della Mano

Bar Nosh

Queensland Bulls Masters

“Mansfield” Cottage Barrington

The Bank Hotel (Newtown)

Masterchef

Flying Penguin Toy Store

Arbonne

Itsy Bitsy Baskets

Hand Of Law

Beyond The Sea

Marked Hair

LoveLight Kingdom

Katiescakes

Erskineville Deli

Bunnings Alexandria

Tooheys New

Frances Watts

Hands Of Imagination

Corona

Ken Healy

Tracey Cook

Anada Jones

Dr Garden

Bank Hotel (Newtown)

Allphone Arena

Our Suppliers

Adam Ziino & Shout Media

Andrew Meats

LUX Bread

The Street Artists

Ben Brown

Glenno Smith

Mike Watt

Sindy Sinn

Joel Moore

Dog Show Prizes

Dog Pack

Wolf Ink Dog Grooming

Entertainers

Dave Favours

Sharon Gambill

Deny Kirkwood

Connie's Diary: The Royal Visit (with apologies!)

Well, I have been extraordinarily slack with my blogging since half way through the ride, I have been thinking of starting my blog again for ages, but haven’t known where to start, because there is so much to write about. About 2 weeks ago Sam and I were approached by the staff at Government House to see if we would be interested in coming to a function with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on 24th April. Well what a funny question that is! Sam and I were gobsmacked, and YES, of course we would be interested. It was all very hush hush, we weren’t allowed to talk about it until after the event, which was very difficult. One of the most exciting things to ever happen in my life and I wasn’t allowed to talk about it – torture, for me, as I am an open book, and am terrible at keeping secrets. Now it is over, and we have been to the function we are allowed to talk about it, and that is exactly what I want to do.

I will re-start my blog with my royal experience. This function was hosted by Your Excellency, the Governor General, Peter Cosgrove, and Lady Cosgrove It was to be a cocktail function, and Sam’s invitation specified a dress code of Lounge Suit, whilst mine stated Cocktail. So I immediately started rummaging around for something to wear. Kate always looks so elegant and beautiful, the thought of being in the same room as her was quite daunting.

I am very lucky to have a dress sponsor, who jumped on board when she saw our story on The Project early last year, at the beginning of the ride. Her name is Karen Ristevski, and she has her own label called Bella Bleu. Karen makes the most beautiful dresses, and has quite a few in her line that are suitable for me to wear without prosthetic breasts. Nice high necked flowy designs that could be worn by flat or ample chested women alike. Karen has generously donated a heap of frocks for me to wear for any occasion, and she had the perfect little number for meeting the royals in.

Last year, we did a story with The Today Show, and Karl Stefanovic came to my place to interview Sam and me. On that day a lovely lady, Vicki Hayes, came to do my make-up. She made me feel presentable enough to be on the TV, and was really nice, so I gave her a call to request her to do my make-up for the royal occasion. Vicki made some time and came over to spruce me up before the big night. Thank Vicki, for making me feel beautiful and confident for this big deal. (Vicki’s web site can be found here.)  Sam hired a suit for the purpose, and he looked dashing, it’s a shame we don’t have occasion for him to dress up very often, because he looks rather dapper when he makes an effort. 

When we arrived, His excellency made an introductory speech and it was then that we found out who’s company we were in. It was a function for young people who are at the top of their fields, in Sport, The Arts, Medicine, Science, Environmental Service, Human Services and Community Service. There were 100 guests there, and I felt quite out of place amongst people like Harry Kewell, Layne Beachley, Guy Sebastian and Yassmin Abdel-Magied from Youth Without Borders.

When Their Excellencies, the Cosgroves, entered the room with the Duke and Duchess I was so star struck. I don’t think there are many people in the world who are more photographed. They are so familiar and I recognised their faces from seeing them in the media so much over the years, it felt quite weird being in the same room. My heart was a flutter and I felt like a teenager at a Justin Bieber concert. I felt weak at the knees and felt nauseous, and it wasn’t the medical treatment, just the excitement.

We were really honoured to meet Her Excellency Quentin Bryce last year, while Sam was riding through the Canberra region. This was an honour in itself, but a pleasant occurrence on the side was meeting Al and Jo and several other staff at Government House. I was so impressed with how professional, but also how genuinely friendly the staff were, and tonight was no different. We saw a few familiar faces and met some staff we hadn’t previously met, and they made us feel most welcome and comfortable.

It was all really proper and formal, as you would expect, there were no photos allowed, unfortunately, but the Duke and Duchess themselves were so genuine and polite and caring. Will was really charming and Kate was so elegant, it made my head spin to think I had just spoken to them.

When I met Kate, Sam had disappeared to find a drink, and he left me to my own devices. I was in a small circle of people we had been talking to, and when she came around to us, and she asked each of us what we do. When it was my turn, I told her about Love Your Sister, and how Sam had ridden around Australia for Breast Cancer research and awareness. She was genuinely amazed and asked where he was, I said that he had just slipped away and would be back. She said she would like to meet him, and when he returned, she turned around again, and said “This must be the amazing brother.” She remembered what we had been talking about, I was amazed. She asked lots of questions about my personal experience with cancer, and how we started Love Your Sister and what it involved. She also asked if we had received much support along the way.

Kate was really engaged in our conversation, and she had a tear in her eye when I was telling her that I am terminal and the reason we started LYS was to try to prevent other young children from losing their mums, like my children will lose me. Telling the Duchess of Cambridge about what we have achieved over the last 18 months, really brought home to me just how much we have done. Sam did an amazing thing, not just for me, but for all people with breast cancer and their families and friends. I am so proud of him, and what we achieved. When Sam spoke to William about what we had done, how much money we have raised so far, and what had motivated us, he was very proud to be able to tell him that we had received amazing support from people all over Australia, and that the support we had received was what made Love Your Sister so special.

As amazing as it was to meet Will and Kate, the whole event was quite special, Sam was absolutely floored when he saw Harry Kewell enter with his beautiful wife Sheree, and Sam and I ended up hanging out with them, and a lovely couple from Canberra, Mike (a sporting clothing company director, who works with underprivileged kids to promote health through sport in Fiji and New Guinea, and Alison (a food blogger). Our little group spent the night laughing and making fun of ourselves and how star struck we were by this surreal experience. It was such a fun night, but by the end of it, I was in a lot of pain and feeling very tired, so I had to find a place to sit down. Sam and I were so impressed by how both Will and Kate engaged so personally with everyone they met. They listened to each person with interest and genuine friendliness and were so considerate, giving each person as much time as they could, but politely moving on so everyone could have a turn.

The highlight of the evening for Sam was listening to Harry Kewell and William talk about soccer and Williams response to Harry’s question, “So why do you support Aston Villa??

As the Duke and Duchess left the event, they nodded and waved to Sam and I. Sam was quite proud that he was acknowledged by both of them, and made fun of me because only Kate acknowledged me! We are such a pair of dags.

As soon as we got home we ditched the fancy clothes, got our slippers on, put on our big fluffy dressing gowns, and had a quiet drink on the Balcony, reflecting on the whole experience. As many highlights as there were, a few little things stood out.

• Harry Kewell knew about Love Your Sister, when Sheree explained who we were, he said, “Yeh, I know” and started telling us how he had heard about Love Your sister on the radio. Sam was blown away, and I was so proud.


• Kate remembered what I had told her about when I met her the second time, and was excited to meet Sam, “the amazing brother”.


• The staff at Government House going above and beyond to make us feel welcome and comfortable.


• The lovely messages of support that we received on Facebook when we posted about what we were about to do. People were so genuinely happy for us, it was lovely.

Connie's Diary: Flying Business Class to surprise Sam

The flight over to Perth was awesome! I got to fly business class and they had these pods to sit in. The chairs extend and you can lie flat, and the chairs have an inbuilt massager! I had a big sleep and when I woke up there was a cupcake beside me! How delightful. I can see why people fly business class now; I have always thought, why would you spend all that extra money, when the flight will be over, you get off and forget about it? Now I get it, you get to be comfortable, spread out, sleep and eat at your leisure.

After this flight I am ready to surprise Sam, I wonder how he will react when he sees me?

Connie's Diary: Preparing for the big surprise

After Darwin, I wasn’t sure that I would make it to Perth, but the whole time I have been hoping that I would make it. I couldn’t commit, because I never know how I will be feeling in advance, but when ‘The Project’ offered to fly me over for a surprise visit to Sam I was so excited.

I have had to keep it a secret from Sam, which has felt cruel. Every time he asked if I was coming to Perth I had to say that I wasn’t feeling strong enough and it wasn’t looking good. It felt absolutely awful lying to him, but I really wanted to surprise him in Perth. The plan was that Carrie would go over to Perth, and ride into Perth with Sam (on a 2 wheeler) then she would present me as a surprise once they got there. When Sam heard that Carrie would be joining him on the road he rang me up and said “Con, you have to come to Perth now, Carrie Bickmore is coming and riding with me, you have to come, you can’t miss this!”

I felt like such a phoney when I said that I would love to, but I just can’t, the kids need me and Mike has exams, so I really can’t come, plus I just don’t know if I am up to travelling at the moment. Samuel was so excited that it felt awful to fib to him, but the surprise should be worth it.

Connie's Diary: Hammy Star Wars Party

Hammy was invited to a Star Wars birthday party recently. He has never seen Star Wars (neither have I), but he has books, and they talk about it at school, so he knows all the characters, and seems to love it. He chose to dress up as Anniken as a child, as he had seen in a book, which was perfect, because he has the same hair as the little boys who plays the part in the movie, and looks quite like him.

When I went to buy the fabric to make his costume, he innocently asked me if I had bought the material in the Star Wars section of the shop. How cute is that? I love that he thinks there would be a section just for Star Wars material in the fabric shop!

Anyway, here he is, dressed up as little Anniken, and next to him, is a picture of little Anniken from the movie. Spot the difference!

Connie's Diary: Visiting Hammy’s Class

Last year, in the times when I was feeling ok, I went to Willoughby’s class and helped out one afternoon per week. I assisted with reading, craft, and crowd control, which is what school is like sometimes. I really enjoyed seeing Willoughby in his classroom, with all of the children he talks about at home. It was also great to get to know the other children in his class and just being involved helped lift my spirits and give me something to look forward to each week.

Love Your Sister has been taking up most of my spare time and energy this year, so I haven’t been able to do the same thing for Hamilton in his first year of school, but lately, since I have been having a chemo break and feeling a little more energised, I have been able to get back to the school to help out. It is really great being back, and doing this year, what I did with Willoughby last year.

It is really great to see Hamilton at school, and get to know his friends and classmates. I just love being in the classroom, I think if I had my time again I would study teaching and become a teacher, perhaps in a special needs environment, to incorporate my love for the disability field. I really do love the classroom and helping young students with the reading and activities. It is so amazing to watch them grow up in that first year of school; they make a huge transformation from being pre-schoolers to being big school kids by the end of the first year. It is incredible. I hope that my health stays strong and that I can continue to go and help in the class as I really enjoy and so does Hammy.

Connie's Diary: First Time Recognised

Some of my friends have been saying that I am famous now, and I really don’t think that I am, and I certainly don’t feel like it. Walking down the corridor in the hospital I hear, “Is that you Connie?” and I turn around expecting to see one of my nurses or doctors, but it is someone I have never seen before and she says, “I recognised you from the TV, you’re brother is riding his unicycle around the country isn’t he?” I was quite shocked; she knew my name, recognised my face and knew all about Love Your Sister. I guess we are getting our message out there if people I don’t know know about us! How bizarre?

LOVE YOUR WALPOLE WILDERNESS

Since the very beginning of LYS, when Connie and I decided that we’d combine our challenge system with her own personal bucket-list, Connie was adamant that I experience the tree top walk in the Walpole Wilderness on her behalf. It’s a series of boardwalks strung 40 metres above ground, snaking through the tops of the beautiful Tingle Tree Forrest. These are no ordinary trees - they tower higher than any other trees I’ve seen before, reminiscent of The Magic Faraway Tree. The trees there are so tall and majestic; it felt unreal. So it was with mixed feelings that I embarked upon her challenge - to ride through the tree tops atop my one-wheeler. It felt wrong that she wasn’t there, but at the same time it was impossible not to appreciate the majesty of the place. I recorded this little vid to try and help capture the experience. A great reward really, for enduring the most challenging undulations of the trip thus far. Sorry to rub it in sis!

Connie's Diary: Missing Sam

Spoke to Sam on the phone after all was said and done in Melbourne. It was great to have so much news for him, about Mornington Secondary College, The Sisterhood Cocktail Party and meeting Sophie Weston. Love Your Sister unites us in so many ways, because we are working on the same project, but ironically is also separates us, and sometimes I miss him so much.

It’s not just missing him that is hard sometimes, though, it is also that I feel like he is able to experience all the things we planned together, while I am back at home, having to stay close to a hospital. I have missed out on Uluru and the Ord River, which have been the hardest, as they are things I really wanted to do in my lifetime, but also things we talked so much about while we were planning this massive adventure.

Sam said on the phone that he thinks of me every day and sometimes he feels like he has told me things, that he hasn’t because he is telling people he meets along the way instead. So he took this opportunity to tell me these things he tells people on the road. That he thinks of me every time it gets hard to pedal. That he hates that there is no cure for my cancer and that it makes him mad as hell. He feels helpless, and realises from time to time that no matter how far he rides, how much money we raise or how much awareness we spread, my cancer will still not go away, it will still kill me, and that makes him feel very empty inside. But on the upside, we are doing something, at least we are trying to make a difference, and we are doing it while I am still well enough to enjoy, and follow what is happening.

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Of course, please continue your support by donating!

Connie's Diary: St Margarets College Berwick: Sophie Weston

One day a couple of months ago, Em (behind the scenes manager) told me about a year 12 Student who had ridden from Canberra to Melbourne on a two wheeled bike to raise money for Love Your Sister. I was amazed that such a young person would be so dedicated to the community and to helping others that she could a: organise such an event, and b: ride that distance.

The school requested that we send a representative from Love Your Sister to pick up the cheque. I was so impressed by this students efforts that I wanted to go personally, to meet this amazing young women, see the school she represents and accept the cheque on behalf of Love Your Sister.

I am so glad I went personally. Meeting Sophie Weston was an incredible experience. People often tell me that they think I am inspirational, but to me, all the people who do things to help Love Your Sister are inspiring, and Sophie Weston is an outstanding example of what people can do when they put their mind to something.

Before we went we didn’t know how much money the school and Sophie had raised. We arrived at the school for a special assembly for the presentation of the cheque. I think there were about 300 students there and we watched a short video presentation then we heard from the principal, from Sophie and I did a speech before the a group of year 12’s sang a delightful song about celebrating who you are, and loving what makes you different from the others.

 

During the biggest year of her schooling life, Sophie sacrificed her school holidays to ride about 700km from Canberra to Melbourne. Her parents, Sue and Gary are right behind her, inspiring her, assisting her and allowing her to flourish. Her sister was her main support, riding some of the distance with her. Her relationship with her sister was a lovely touch to this incredible achievement.

The Social committee at St Margarets worked together to raise around $1500 and together with funds raised by Sophie on her bike riding adventure, they raised $7020.80! What an achievement, Sophie you are amazing, and you shine brightly and give older people in Australia a lot to look forward to. You have shown remarkable initiative, dedication, leadership and empathy. I look forward to seeing what you achieve as you get older, you are definitely someone who could take on the world, and win.

Another bonus about going to St Margarets was that I got to see my gorgeous cousin Zoe, it was great to see you, a lovely surprise, I hadn’t realised it was your school I was visiting Zoe.

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Connie's Diary: Sisterhood Cocktail Party

Preparation for Cocktail party

The whole team at Envy Boutique Hair Spa in Frankston got behind Love Your Sister while we were in town for the cocktail party. When we arrived we saw Love Your Sister posters all over the salon and Nicole and Alanah kindly did our hair for the cocktail party. It was a luxurious experience to prepare for the cocktail party, and got me feeling in the mood for a big night on the town. I was feeling so nervous about going to the event, as Sam wasn’t going to be there, it is an all-girls night, and it is all about me. Having my hair done nicely helped me feel confident about being the centre of attention.

How cute are the tickets for the cocktail party?

 

Sisterhood

A group of 3 women in Mornington, who named themselves The Sisterhood, began planning huge cocktail party back in February. It was to be an event in honour of little old me, for women to get together and raise money for and awareness of breast cancer whilst having a great night out. Susan, Lizzie and Lauren have done an amazing job organising this fun fundraiser.

Lizzie, Lauren, Susan, Connie

I always have trouble committing to going to events as I am never sure in advance if I will be well enough on the day to attend, so this was organised on the premise that I would come if I could, but that it would be a great night regardless, and it really was.

One of the great things about the night was that everyone was given a Sisterhood T-shirt as part of the ticket price, so we were all wearing the same thing and it brought us closer, broke down barriers and allowed people to meet so much easier. Great idea Sisterhood!

Soul Trader, a great little 3 piece band had everybody moving and grooving followed by Susan and Stephanie who are very talented and entertaining singers. There were numerous prizes in a raffle and silent auction. There was also a photo booth with lots of pink props for friends to take silly photos of themselves in. The Mornington Yacht Club generously donated the venue and Security was provided free of charge by All Skilled Hospitality Services managed by an old mate from my days in Mornington, Lindsay Hart. Limousine transport was provided by LR Limousines. I felt like a superstar getting driven in a limo, then being greeted by the owners personally and taken to a table for refreshments on arrival, while the ladies were watching video presentations by Carrie Bickmore and Samuel, and I was eating delicious homemade homous with bread so that I wasn’t drinking on an empty stomach. Then I entered the function where 200 women were clapping and cheering. It was quite surreal and I got the feeling that this is what it must have felt like for Samuel when he was on ‘The Secret Life of Us’.

My gorgeous cousins came, and I got to have fun, drink and dance with them. The wonderful Abby got up on a table and danced her little heart out, and Alison wasn’t able to come, but the girls made up for that by making sure she won the pole dancing classes in the silent auction!

Throughout the evening I got to meet so many wonderful people who shared their stories of parenthood, battles with cancer and lost loved ones with me. It was very touching hearing their stories and I got heaps of free hugs.

Little Black Booth donated a photo booth which was so much fun, we all had silly photos taken at some stage during the night. Pink wigs, hats, glasses and props for a pinkalicious photo booth session. At the end of the night I was given an album of all of the photos taken throughout the night, with notes from the people in the photos. It was fun at the time, and I get to remember the evening and everyone I met through this special album with so many lovely messages in it for me, Sam and Love Your Sister.

I did another speech, and this one went a lot better, though I did cry a few times. I was stunned that a room full of women, mostly drinking, chatting and dancing fell dead silent during my speech. They all listened to me talk about my experiences with cancer and what Sam and I are doing to try to make women more breast aware. It really brought it home to me that Love Your Sister is working, we are spreading the word, our message; “don’t fall into the booby trap, be breast aware” is getting out there. People are hearing us. I hope that after tonight at least some of the women who came along will self-examine or go to their doctors for examinations. Just keeping track of your lumps and bumps is a start, then you know if anything changes and can go and get a professional check-up and mammogram and ultrasound if necessary. Most of the women here at the Sisterhood cocktail party are mums, most around my age, our exact demographic, the people who we want to hear our message the loudest. So many people think that Breast Cancer is a disease that affects older women, and I was told myself that I was too young, that my problem was not likely to be cancer because of my age. But since I have been diagnosed I have met and re-met so many younger women with the disease, it is truly frightening. And if I had been more proactive and insisted on testing instead of being content with being told that it wasn’t cancer, maybe my cancer would have been detected early enough for it to be something treatable – not something that would take my life. As angry as I am with the doctors who told me that I had mastitis, I am also angry with myself for not insisting on further tests, for believing them and not pushing for my own health and wellbeing.  So I really hope that the guests tonight went away with that message, don’t fall into the booby trap.

Susan, it was a pleasure to meet you, you have a special energy and vibrancy about you that made it very easy to hang out with you, and I felt somehow like I had known you for ages, even though we only just met. I loved your singing and the bond that you share with your daughter, the beautiful and talented Stephanie is apparent just by looking at you two together.

Lizzie, what a sweetheart you are, you have worked incredibly hard for a long time to bring this event together and your hard work and dedication paid off, it was a tremendous night, best girls night out I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of.

Lizzie on the right

Lauren, your organisational skills, problem solving and dedication are second to none, what an honour it was to meet you. Please know how much I appreciate all of your ideas, commitment and drive, and the part you played in making tonight the huge success it was.

Lauren and Sue

Together, the Sisterhood raised over $14 500 in one night. This would not have been possible without the generosity of local businesses and individuals who donated prizes for the raffle and services to make the evening the huge fun-raiser that it was.

 Leaving in the limo was the perfect way to end a wonderful evening, and again I felt like I was famous or something, it certainly wasn’t just any other night on the town, and it certainly didn’t finish with a cab ride home, so I felt very special. Thanks to Susan, Lizzie and Lauren for making everything happen tonight. It was magical.

 

Huge Thanks go out to:

• Brazilian butterfly for supplying Lotion and a $50 voucher


• Chicken on Main for donating 2 Dinner Vouchers


• Dawn Clavin for donating 2 Water Colours


• Polelicious for supplying 4 week mini pole dancing classes


• Tuerong Vineyard Estate for giving 6 bottle of Shiraz


• Ultimate Fitness for supplying a 6 month membership


• Party hire for Kids for the Balloon displays


• Intimo for the Lingerie


• Melbourne Tarp Hire for a builders Tarp


• Minzenmay for the Pandora Bracelet


• National Australia Bank for a Donation


• Farrells Bookstore for donating a signed book by Julie Goodwin


• Onde for giving a lovely hamper


• Drew’s Pantry for donating a great hamper


• Rozanne Watts for the beautiful handmade ring


• Race Aviation for donating a joy flight


• Stufflers Party for Kids for giving a Bear Making Party


• Enliven for the gorgeous Lamp


• Words for Friends for the Scrabble Wall Plaque


• Peninsula Surf for vouchers


• Zenyu for donating vouchers


• Fox FM, the Matt and Jo Show


• Officeworks Frankston for supplying the name badges


• Novel Tees for supplying the Tee Shirts


• Mymojo Physiotherapy for donating a wellbeing pack


• Fernwood for giving a 1 month membership

And the major sponsors of the evening, who truly made this night a possibility, and the huge success that it was, we must thank, from the bottom of my heart, Jacobs and Lowe, Barmah Park and The Rocks.

One of the prizes that was auctioned on the night was a Photographic package by The Story Within who is also doing a great prize for me and my family which I am really excited about. They are going to photograph me, Mike and the boys together. Outside playing, walking, running and having fun, but also indoors, reading, and playing quietly, because this is what I spend a lot of my time with the boys doing. I had a look at some of their work, and it was truly beautiful, they captured those moments in families that are so precious, the looks between mother and child, husband and wife, and between the children. If our photo shoot turns out to be even half as good as some of the examples we saw I will be so happy, and it will a gift that the kids will have forever that will help keep the memory of their mum alive, long after I am gone. It is a very thoughtful gift and I am very touched by Sue and Cara by their generous offer to give a package away as an auction item, but also to give another package away for our family. This must be tougher than more than ever because everyone has digital cameras and cameras on their phones, and thinks they can capture the magic. But the difference between a shot taken by my husband or me of the kids, the quality of a photo taken by a professional with the experience that Sue and Cara have is enormous. Thanks Sue and Cara for your kind offer and I look forward to our photo session.

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