LAST CHRISTMAS: Heartbroken Brisbane family farewells loving mum of six

Tributes have flowed for single mother and blogger Melinda Carmody after she lost her hard-fought battle with cancer, leaving behind her six children.

Brisbane single mother-of-six Melinda Carmody lost her fiercely fought battle with cancer on December 29, leaving behind an enduring legacy of love, laughter and Christmas spirit.

The 45-year-old had a special place in her heart for the holiday season, having become known for her impressive lights display at her home in Belmont, where children could come and play under the magic of a summertime snow machine.

“It brought so much joy to so many people,” Melinda told Quest Community News in 2018.

“I just love the giving.”

Melinda Carmody became known for both her beautiful Christmas lights display and her messages of strength on her Facebook cancer blog.

A couple of weeks before Christmas last year, however, doctors delivered the devastating news that Melinda’s cancer had spread from her brain to her cerebrospinal fluid.

The prognosis was bleak.

“I just want to make it through Christmas,” she’d told her sister, Joanne Singh, who flew to Brisbane from New Zealand on December 9.

By the time she emerged from mandatory quarantine, Joanne said Melinda could no longer walk without assistance and found it difficult to talk.

“It was shocking,” Joanne said.

Melinda Carmody passed away late December, leaving behind the six children who were her "proudest accomplishments".

Nevertheless, Melinda forged ahead and made it to Christmas lunch where she gathered with her loving family for the final time.

“She wasn’t doing too good, but she knew we were all there,” Joanne said.

“There were tears, and there were cuddles.”

Then, on December 29, Melinda drew her last breath with Joanne by her side, holding her hand.

Joanne choked back tears as she remembered her sister’s last moments.

“She’d always defended me, she’d always protected me, and I knew it was my turn to be there for her,” Joanne said.

An earlier scan showed how the cancer had spread into Melinda's brain.

Melinda was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018 and the disease soon spread to her liver, lymph nodes and brain.

She had become a pillar of support and source of knowledge for cancer survivors as she documented her medical journey on her Facebook blog, sharing everything from the highs of motherhood to the lows of chemotherapy-induced sickness.

The six children, aged between 15 and nine years old, will live with their maternal grandmother.

Of all her accomplishments, however, Melinda was most proud of her six children, now aged between 16 and nine years old.

“She was all about her children, she did anything and everything for them and they made her so happy,” said Joanne.

“In her last few days, her biggest concern was the kids, she made us promise to look after the kids.”

The children will stay in their new family home at Tingalpa and be cared for by their grandmother, who Joanne said they are incredibly close with.

She wants them to remember their mother as “a strong woman, a fighter”, whose determination to survive allowed her to live for six months longer than her doctor’s predicted.

A GoFundMe has been set up for the family to assist with funeral costs and to help with the ongoing care of the children.

Melinda Carmody and her six loving children.

Within days, 69 people had donated upwards of $4700.

The generous financial assistance means that each child will receive a piece of jewellery encased with their mother’s ashes, to carry her with them always.