‘He tells me things about what it’s like to have chemo’: Son’s cruel diagnosis a shock twist for dying mum

Patricia Ritchie watched her son beat cancer twice. Now she’s fighting a stage-four battle of her own – and doesn’t have much time.

Patricia Ritchie, 65, has been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. Picture: Supplied

Mum-of-three Patricia Ritchie said cancer isn’t nearly as much of a burden as the one she feels she is placing on her children by being sick.

Diagnosed with stage-four lung cancer, the sinister disease has spread to her brain and the 65-year-old is heavily reliant on her three sons for help – even having to live with her middle child.

“It’s really hard … I feel bad for anything,” the Myponga woman said.

“If I want something, I have to ask for it. It’s up to them whether I get it or not and it’s really frustrating.

“I feel like at this stage of my life I should be able to take care of myself, I should have a husband or friends to do this stuff and not have to rely on my children.

“I have lost all my pride.”

Patricia feels as though she is a burden on her family. Picture: Supplied

Patricia before she was diagnosed with cancer. Picture: Supplied

During the cost of living crisis, Patricia, who is unable to work, sees people – including her sons – struggling.

“I go to the grocery store with my son and he buys me stuff and I see how much he’s spending,” she said.

“Kale is like $9 a bunch … I’m trying to eat healthy here and it’s kind of hard.

“I overhear my daughter-in-law saying thing like ‘we’re going to have a high electric bill this month’ and I just panic, I just really panic because I don’t want that to happen.

“It’s not that money can buy you happiness but it can buy treats for your grandchildren and it sure can help towards the grocery bill and petrol and that would make me happy.”

Patricia undergoing treatment. Picture: Supplied

Patricia is originally from the United States but has lived in Australia for 40 years. Picture: Supplied

It was her youngest son who noticed something might be wrong when he asked his mum if she was getting dementia after she began forgetting things earlier this year.

Suddenly Patricia, who is originally from the United States, was limping while walking her dogs.

A scan revealed stage four cancer in her lungs and brain.

She was brought to hospital for emergency brain surgery on April 28 to remove the cancerous tumour.

“At that stage I couldn’t even write my name,” Patricia said.

“I couldn’t form sentences, it was a bit scary to say the least.”

Now Patricia is undergoing radiotherapy, however her prognosis is “not looking good”.

“Everything’s happened so quickly … I had nothing … no symptoms,” she said.

“I’ll be lucky if I get five years so I’ve come to terms with that. I don’t think my children have so we don’t talk about it.

“Hopefully I’ll make it to Christmas.”

Patricia’s eldest son battled cancer twice. Picture: Supplied

Heartbreakingly, Patricia’s eldest son has battled cancer twice himself — when he was 21 he had testicular cancer and then five years ago he had myxoid liposarcoma.

“He tells me things about what it’s like to have chemo,” Patricia said.

“He’s an inspiration to me.”

Patricia said she is heartbroken her children have to witness their mother go through cancer.

“I’m proud of my children, they are good people all of them, they deserve better than this,” Patricia said.

“I don’t want to die and leave them grieving me and I don’t them to watch me die.”

If you’d like to donate to Patricia, you can here.

Originally published as ‘He tells me things about what it’s like to have chemo’: Son’s cruel diagnosis a shock twist for dying mum