Teddi Mellencamp, former star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, is facing the toughest fight of her life as her battle with melanoma takes a devastating turn.
Despite undergoing nearly 20 surgeries over three years, recent tests have revealed that her cancer has aggressively spread to her brain and lungs.
On February 12, doctors removed four large tumors from Mellencamp’s brain, but just weeks later, on March 7, three more tumors were discovered growing in her brain, along with two additional tumors in her lungs.
While she remains hopeful that immunotherapy and radiation will help slow the disease’s progression, sources close to her say she is also preparing her three children—Slate, 12, Cruz, 10, and Dove, 5—for life without her.
“Teddi is a fighter,” an insider shared. “But it’s heartbreaking for her to go from reassuring her kids that she’ll be okay to now facing this grim reality.”
Leading oncologist Dr. Jerome Spunberg, who has not treated Mellencamp, weighed in on her condition, emphasizing melanoma’s aggressive nature. “The cure rate is unfortunately very low,” he stated, underscoring the severity of her diagnosis.
Despite the dire prognosis, Mellencamp remains focused on her children and her fight to survive. “Her main priority is her kids and doing everything she can to beat this cancer for their sake,” the source added.