Nominated by
Emma Corby
March 19, 2017
My nominee is Joanne Johnson, we live in Corby, Northamptonshire. Ive know Joanne for many years and ive watched her live her life in a way that I could only hope I could. She has a 10 year old daughter, Shannon. 5 years ago Joanne fell pregnant with her second child but at 18 weeks she received every parents nightmare, her baby boy had HLHS (hyperplastic left heart syndrome) a cognitive heart condition that had no cure until later in life but there was a very small change of her son surviving that long. Michael Joannes baby boy was born 8th july 2011 and transfe4red to great Ormond street hospital hours after birth. Michael had his first open heart surgery at 6 days old, from then Michael was a permanent reistent at GOSH and his mum was at his side 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Joanne brought Michael home at 4 weeks but sadly returned at 5 weeks and was told that Michael had to undergo his second open heart surgery which normally would happen when he was 6 months old. Joanne missed Shannon drastically and would come home every couple of weeks for a night to be with Shannon then return To London to be with Michael. Michael sadly passed away on wed 11th January 2012 at 6 months and 1 day old. joanne came home on the Friday and took her daughter home, where she explained what had happened and that Michael had gone to heaven to be an angel. Now Joanne proved her strength beyond belief, her words were "my daughter is devastated and she needs to know that everything was ok and that I a ok, I will not let her see or feel my pain because if she does then shes not going to be able to cope". Joanne took Shannon to school made hher dinner and did her mummy duties until Shannon was in bed then joanne would go for a bath and then she would cry and scream and let her pain and heartache out and then Shannon wud wake up and joanne did it all again. Shannon knew her mum was sad and joanne made sure that Shannon knew it was ok to be sad and it was ok to cry and not understandand she knew joanne didn't understand why but joanne said " I am her mummy and I am her safety net if she sees my heartbreak it will scare her and it will be a thing that she will never forget". Joanne didn't question anything and just as she had protected Michael and stood by his side she put her heartbreak second because her little girl needed her mummy to protect her and stand firmly at her side. From the first diagnosis with Michael Joanne inspired many people and proved that nomatter what or where hard or not her kids were first priority and their feeling were more important than anything or anyone. Since Michael passed Joanne has been a ingle mother and she has done so much for everyone. She is always the first to help any of her family and friends whether it be too doing soeones dishes, watching their kids or anything if she can help she will and if she cant she will go above and beyond to find someone who can. Joanne fell pregnant with her 3rd baby late 2014, a little Girl..Lillie, throughout joannes pregnancy she told numerous doctors midwives that she felt soething was wrong and had 17 scans within 23 weeks but her feelings were dismissed at 24 weeks joanne attended a routine idwife app, and was sent to the hospital as she couldn't find a heartbeat, sadly Lillie had passed away ad was born the following day on the 17th April 2015. Joanne did what she does best and put shannons wellbeing before her own, and Shannon was allowed to feel her own pain and she could cry her own tears but jonne again said she wont fee my pain and cry tears for me and joanne went back to crying in the bath. Joanne wrote Lillies funeral service and she carried her babygirls pink coffin into the churvh and her brothers then lowered Lillie to be with ichael in the grave they both now share with their granddad (Joannes dad) Joannes strength and courage baffls me and I stand and watch in owe, I do nt know hw she survives life with the pain she feels each and every day. She still goes above and beyond to help others. In all honesty since 2012 when ichael passed away Joanne has not had a break with every hurdle she overcomes there seems to be a bigger one straight after, shes 32 years old and shes felt pain that some people never feel. She has all the kids around constantly and she is still stood firly by shannons side helpin her in all aspects and now they laugh together and they also cry together, although Shannon has felt such pain for a child she has grown into such a loving and polite little girl and her mum promised her thing would be ok and joanne made sure she kept that promise. It would be totally understandable for joanne to have given up or even just focus on herself and Shannon but she doesn't she cries for people who go through tragedies andshe helps as much as she can. So Joanne is an inspiration to myself because she is so selfless, and whether shes things going on in her life nomatter how big or small she will still help and get you through things. I know that her children take their emotional strength from their mummy. People who joanne tells about her kids quite a few get emotional and well Joanne gives them hug and asks them If they are ok and apologises for makig the cry, not a day goes by when joanne doesn't speak about Michael and Lillie and yes she does have very bad days but she doesn't stay down for long she gets back up and she carries on nomatter what, and the first priority in joannes life is Shannon and she will always have her mum standing at hher side. Joanne has the weight of the world on er shoulders and if you don't know her you would not have a clue. I am proud to say that this girl is my friend and she will always be an inspiration to us.