Gold Coast mum loses cancer battle after diagnosis while heavily pregnant
A Queensland mother who found out she had stage-four cancer while heavily pregnant has died, her husband has confirmed.
Elise Squillari was diagnosed with stage four metastatic melanoma after she was admitted to Gold Coast hospital for severe headaches while she was 32-weeks pregnant.
"She had emergency brain surgery when Neurologists found multiple brain lesions that were causing life threatening bleeding in her brain," the GoFundMe said.
"Elise’s cancer is aggressive and the oncology team have told them that treatment will be life prolonging, not curative."
So Ms Squillari could start urgent treatment her son, Romeo, had to be delivered early at 33 weeks, the GoFundMe said.
On Instagram, Ms Squillari revealed she was reluctant to deliver her son early, but she was told she had to start treatment immediately.
"I was torn between my motherly instincts and what I needed to do to start my healing journey," she wrote in an Instagram post on July 17.
Romeo was doing well after the early delivery via a C-section and thousands of dollars were raised to support the family, as Ms Squillari and her husband, Dylan, were unable to work.
"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," the GoFundMe explained.
On Tuesday night, Mr Squillari confirmed on Instagram the mum-of-two had died.
"You didn’t deserve any of this. Rest In Peace our beautiful Angel," he said.
"Loved by everyone you will never be forgotten and forever in our hearts. You were always my unicorn and always will be. I love you Elise Violetta."
Hundreds of people expressed their sadness for Ms Squillari's passing on the post.
According to an Instagram post from July this year, the couple had been together for ten years.
Just five hours after the GoFundMe was set up, over $60,000 had been raised. Since June, more than $329,000 was raised for the Squillari family.
You can donate to the GoFundMe here.
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