Popular Australian writer Natalie Fornasier has died aged 28 after battling melanoma
The husband of Australian writer Natalie Fornasier, who recently lost her battle with melanoma, has revealed the powerful mark she left on him.
Ms Fornasier, from Sydney, died on January 14. She was diagnosed with metastatic stage III melanoma at the age of 20 and dedicated much of her life to raising awareness of the dangers of skin cancer.
Her husband Alexander shared an emotional post on her Instagram page on Tuesday, writing, “Our beautiful Natalie left this life behind.”
Then he added life advice written by his wife.
‘Be confident. Accept your disability. Don’t hide it or diminish its existence,” read the message.
“It’s part of your puzzle and every time you share it, it’s an opportunity to define yourself by your own standards. Because telling your story has power, not only for you but for others too.’
Alexander said Ms Fornasier has and will continue to have an “immeasurable” impact on the lives of those around her, including those she doesn’t know personally.
“As I struggle to find words, I can’t help but think of how Natalie would just laugh out loud at my clumsy composition,” he wrote.
“She looks at me with that sparkle in her eyes, full of love and amusement. Words are her gift. How lucky we are to have been touched by the magic she created.
“I’ve always called her my ‘beautiful girl,’ and by that I didn’t even mean those big, emerald green and hazel eyes. I didn’t even mention her flawless skin, perfected through a curated 12-step skincare routine.
“I haven’t even spoken about the smile that lights up a room and makes me feel at home.
“I was talking about her beautiful soul. The soul of a writer, a poet, someone who seemed to have lived many lifetimes. The beautiful soul I fell in love with. That I was so incredibly privileged that my paths crossed.
“I love you Natalie, always, forever.”
Ms Fornasier’s husband Alexander shared an emotional post on her Instagram page on Tuesday, writing: “Our beautiful Natalie left this life behind”.
He ended the post with another message from Ms Fornasier: “Love as much as you can”.
He had moved to Australia from Germany to be with Ms Fornasier after the two met on a trip around Europe in 2018.
The 28-year-old’s battle with cancer began when she noticed a mole on her toe had changed shape.
In December last year, she told her 35,000 Instagram followers that her cancer had become terminal – and shared a heartbreaking palliative care update.
“The last four months have been brutal. At the end of July I received word that my cancer was now incurable and I had months to live,” she wrote.
“I cried myself hoarse from fear of death. I’ve cried out for the kids I’d never have, for growing older, for my friends, for the life I should live.
Mrs. Fornasier was able to walk down the aisle with her husband Alexander
The 28-year-old updated her 35,000 followers on her cancer battle
“At 28 years old … everything feels wrong.
“The conversations I’ve had to have, the plans I’ve had to make, the places my thoughts have gone and continue to go — none of it is natural. It is painful.
“I was forgotten for crying for (husband) Alexander, the heartbreak and the love I was about to leave — for the life we were meant to have. I cried for my family.
“My only goal in life was to love. I’ve experienced a love that consumes everything – something so profoundly precious and powerful and soul-changing that I know that even though I leave this earth, that energy and love will never die.”
Her latest Instagram post, on Dec. 21, features a picture of a bouquet she was given at the hospital – and a reminder that time is precious.
“It’s one minute at a time for me right now – and I’m so grateful that’s still a possibility.
“If my time here has taught me anything, it’s that time moves like a river,” she said.
“You can’t see the beginning or the end, but you can feel it — so you better make the most of it.”
The writer had dedicated her life to raising awareness of the dangers of skin cancer
Ms Fornasier married her partner Alex while battling her illness
Melanoma Symptoms
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that usually occurs on parts of the body that have had excessive sun exposure.
Melanomas often have no symptoms, but the first sign is usually a change in an existing mole or the appearance of a new mole.
These changes may include:
- Color – a birthmark can change color or have different shades of color or become blotchy
- Size – a birthmark seems to grow larger
- Shape – a mole may have an irregular edge or increase in height
- Elevation – the mole can develop a raised area
- itching or bleeding
Source: Cancer Council
It happened during Ms Fornasier’s fourth week in palliative care and she still had more than three weeks to go.
“It’s absurd that it’s been so long – time is so fluid it feels like none has passed but the calendar says otherwise,” she wrote at the time.
Ms Fornasier described the simple things about her home that she missed before describing the heavy toll her melanoma had taken on her body.
“I can no longer walk unaided, my legs are fluid, my whole body hurts 24/7 and the tumor burden is enormous,” she wrote.
“My pain is slowly increasing, day by day I can feel my body slowing down a little bit more, which is so bizarre to watch – especially when you can feel it physically too.
“But those yellowed walls with creaking old doors are the best place for me – it’s safe (and fully stocked with all the medicines I need!).
“People often misunderstand palliative care and what it means – but fundamentally, the weight of medical care is taken off Alexander’s shoulders and cared for by nurses and doctors who want nothing more than that you are pain-free.”
The 28-year-old had openly told her followers about her battle with cancer
The writer announced to her followers in December that her cancer had become terminal
Relatives set up a GoFundMe for Ms Fornasier’s family and husband before her death.
It has raised more than $110,000.
Ms Fornasier was just 20 years old when she woke up one morning to find her legs covered in bruises while on holiday in Greece.
She initially thought she had walked in her sleep until she realized that the birthmark on her toe that she had been in since birth had changed shape.
It wasn’t until two weeks after returning home that she was told she had advanced melanoma.
Her toe was amputated and the lymph nodes in her groin removed.
Ms Fornasier – who is the ambassador for a social media campaign called #CallTimeonMelanoma – had urged young women to have their skin checked and be more careful when sunbathing.
Ms Fornasier said she was grateful to have experienced love for her husband Alexander