A young Queensland mum who had been suffering from severe headaches has been given a shocking terminal cancer diagnosis after being rushed to hospital.
Elise Squillari, who was 32 weeks pregnant at the time, was admitted to the Gold Coast University Hospital just over a week ago, where neurologists discovered multiple lesions on the “adored mother, wife, daughter and sister’s” brain, causing life-threatening bleeding.
Ms Squillari has since been diagnosed with aggressive, stage four metastatic melanoma – with doctors informing Ms Squillari, her husband Dylan, and their family that treatment now will be “life prolonging, not curative”.
Before she could undergo urgent immunotherapy, doctors had to deliver the couple’s second child early, at just 33 weeks. According to a fundraiser set up by a family friend, the procedure went to plan and baby Romeo is now “doing well”.
But, wrote the GoFundMe’s organiser Olivia Smith, “this is just the start of a very challenging time for Elise and Dylan”.
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“Dylan will be unable to work for some time as he looks after Elise, their beautiful 3-year-old girl, Gigi, and their newborn baby boy, Romeo,” Ms Smith wrote.
“An adored mother, wife, daughter, sister and friend, those who know Elise know that she is not one to ask for help, even when she needs it most. Which is why I’m setting up this fundraiser for two of my dearest friends who are loved by so many.
“The funds raised here will go towards helping Elise and Dylan with their loss of income (both aren’t working for the foreseeable future), their new baby, bills, family support, donor breastmilk, alternative therapies, and living expenses.
“The best way we can all help is to relieve this financial stress so Elise and Dylan can focus on what’s important right now – Elise’s health and their new baby.”
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The family have already received an outpouring of support from Queenslanders and people around the globe, with more than $276,000 raised since the fundraiser was created three days ago.
In an update on her Instagram stories, Ms Squillari thanked people for their generosity, providing an update on her health and urging everyone to go and get their skin checked.
“Please guys, grab a friend and get a skin check,” she wrote.
“I was getting 3-6 month checks. Years ago I had a spot cut out of my back, I was told it could turn cancerous. They called me back to get the skin around it out too. It’s likely that a cell was missed and has caused the tumours in my body to grow from the one cell. So please take this seriously and get a skin check.”