An Australian influencer who died after a battle with cancer at the age of 28 said in her last heartbreaking Instagram post that time "moves like a river".
Natalie Fornasier was diagnosed with Stage III metastatic melanoma when she was 20 after noticing a large mole on her toe.
However, the cancer spread to other parts of her body and at the end of July 2022, doctors told her that it was terminal and she only had months to live.
The writer's husband Alexander was her carer for five years but in November 2022, she began palliative care, with doctors and nurses looking after her on a regular basis to lift a weight off her family's back, she explained on Instagram in her final post.
Sharing a photo of a vase full of freshly-cut flowers, Natalie said she was "blown away" and her heart was "full" as she thanked everyone who supported her through messages, as well as donations.
The post, shared on December 21, says: "Today marks four weeks in palliative care. It’s absurd it’s been that long - time is so fluid, it feels like none has gone by but the calendar says otherwise.
"I miss my home incredibly - I miss my trinkets on the fireplace sitting pretty and my couch that basically swallows you. I miss my kitchen. I even miss the possums in the roof.
"But I can no longer walk without aids, my legs are filled with fluid, my whole body aches 24/7 and the tumour burden is intense.
"My pain is increasing slowly, day by day I can feel my body slow just that little bit more which is such a bizarre thing to witness - especially when you can physically feel it too."
Natalie said she was thankful for the palliative care she was receiving, adding that her husband needed "a bit of a break" after caring for her for five years.
She added that life as "one minute at a time" for her, but she was thankful for it.
She wrote: "If my time here has taught me anything - it’s that time moves like a river. You’re unable to see the beginning or the end but you can feel it - so you better make the most of it.
"Even if that means napping next to your loved one for hours so long as you’re together. I’m also thankful for the jolly trolley which I didn’t know existed until I got here (IYKYK)."
Thanks to her social media influence, Natalie helped raise awareness around the importance of sun safety and was a driving force for the #CallTimeOnMelanoma initiative.
She regularly shared updates to her 35,000 followers and part of her legacy is a message about the importance of wearing sunscreen regularly.
According to an obituary in The Sydney Morning Herald, Natalie died on January 14.
Her funeral service will take place at the Loreto Normanhurst School Chapel in New South Wales at 10 on Friday, February 3.
