business - 2026-06-05

Narraweena mother with advanced melanoma focuses on care for four children after terminal prognosis

Source: manlyobserver.com.au

Donna Bartho, a 55-year-old single mother from Narraweena, says she has been given about 12 weeks to live after a rare melanoma diagnosis advanced to her brain. With four children to prepare for life without her, she is now focused on making sure they are supported emotionally, practically and financially in the weeks ahead.

Donna Bartho, a 55-year-old single mother from Narraweena, says she has been given about 12 weeks to live after a rare melanoma diagnosis advanced to her brain. With four children to prepare for life without her, she is now focused on making sure they are supported emotionally, practically and financially in the weeks ahead. Bartho said the illness first revealed itself almost two years ago after she returned home from a school pick-up and noticed a bloodstain on her bra strap. Thinking it might be an irritated mole, she booked a GP appointment. Three days later, she was told she had cancer. The diagnosis was metastatic, or stage IV, melanoma. Bartho said the disease was later found on her windpipe, which she believes makes her case exceptionally rare. She said the outlook changed sharply after a recent oncology appointment, when she was told the spread of the disease was as bad as doctors could imagine. She now has more than two dozen brain tumours and says her attention has shifted from trying to beat the illness to preparing her family for what comes next. Her children are Jake, 25, Skye, 23, Zack, 19, and Ruby, 16. Ruby is in Year 11, while Jake lives with severe mental...