In the wake of Natalie Fornasier’s heartbreaking death, her husband Alexander has released a final note left by his beloved wife. At only twenty-eight years old, Australian native Natalie had been fighting an aggressive melanoma diagnosis before she ultimately passed away. Despite this terribly sorrowful news for family and friends alike, they can take solace in that Natalie’s last words were meant to impart life advice – “Don’t hide it or lessen its existence.”
On January 14, 2023, Sydney-based Fornasier succumbed to her eight-year fight with stage three metastatic melanoma. To protect others from the life-threatening consequences of skin cancer including melanoma, she spent much of her time advocating for awareness and understanding about it. Fornasier was only twenty years old when she first received her diagnosis; however, that did not stop nor deter this brave warrior in their determined mission to make a difference – a legacy that will live on long after they are gone.
Alexander recently shared a poignant Instagram post that included some words of wisdom from his late wife Natalie. With her passing, Alexander was left without the comforting presence of his beloved partner. However, through this touching piece of writing, she still managed to give him much-needed strength even after leaving this world.
“Be confident. Embrace your disability. Don’t hide it or lessen its existence,” the motivating note read. “It’s one piece of your puzzle, and each time you share it, it is an opportunity to define yourself by your own standards. Because telling your story has power, and not only is it powerful to you, but to others as well.”
Alexander asserted that his spouse had and would continue to have a remarkable influence on the people in her life as well as those who don’t even know her personally – an impact he described as “immeasurable”.
He continued, “As I’m struggling to find words, I can’t help but think of how Natalie would just laugh out loud over my clumsy composition. She was looking at me with this 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’d always call her my ‘beautiful girl,’ and by that, I wasn’t even talking about those big, emerald and hazel eyes. I wasn’t even talking about her immaculate skin, perfected by a curated 12-step skincare routine. I wasn’t even talking about the smile that lit up a room and made 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 lives. The beautiful soul I fell in love with. That I was so incredibly privileged to have crossed paths with. I love you, Natalie, always, forever.”
To conclude his heartfelt message, he included a loving note from his cherished wife that read, “Love as much as you can.”
In December 2022, Fornasier shared her devastating cancer prognosis with her Instagram followers just a month prior to her passing. The tale of hardship began when an innocuous-looking mole on the bottom of one of her toes took an unexpected form.
