Married At First Sight expert John Aiken has paid a heartfelt tribute to his co-star Mel Schilling following her shock colon cancer diagnosis.
The relationship expert, 53, shared a gallery of precious photos to Instagram on Wednesday, showcasing many of the special moments he and Mel have shared.
One sweet photo showed the co-workers-turned-best-friends working up a storm on the MAFS set, and another showed them at a red carpet event.
He captioned the gallery with some heartfelt words.
“Sending love and prayers to Mel,” he began.
“I think of you and the battle to come. We're all in your corner.'
John's messages of support follow Mel's heartbreaking revelation on Wednesday morning.
Married At First Sight expert John Aiken has paid a heartfelt tribute to his co-star Mel Schilling following her shock colon cancer diagnosis. Both shown
The psychologist and dating coach, 51, who appears on the British and Australian versions of the show, shared the tragic news in an Instagram post.
She posted a photo of herself hugging her husband Gareth Brisbane, 51, and their daughter Madison, eight, alongside the caption: “You have cancer.” Three little words that everyone fears, but no one ever expects to hear.
'Last Thursday my consultant told me those three words.'
The relationship expert, 53, shared a gallery of precious photos to Instagram on Wednesday, showing many of the special moments he and Mel have shared
Schilling said she was diagnosed just a month after she started feeling pain in her abdomen while filming the upcoming eleventh season of MAFS Australia.
'About a month ago, while I was filming in Australia, I started having severe stomach cramps on set. “I put it down to all the traveling I did and the disruption it caused in my system,” she explained.
'I saw my GP in Sydney and he put it down to constipation, gave me some laxatives and sent me away.'
He captioned the gallery with some heartfelt words: “Sending love and prayers to Mel. I think of you and the battle to come. We're all in your corner'
Despite her doctor's initial assessment, Schilling said she knew her condition was more serious and booked herself a scan when she traveled to Britain.
“On Thursday I was diagnosed with colon cancer and in an instant my entire life changed,” she wrote.
Schilling confirmed that she will go to the hospital tomorrow to remove a 5 cm tumor in her colon that, if the tumor had gone unnoticed much longer, would have killed her.
She spends Christmas Day in the hospital receiving treatment.
Despite her heartbreaking situation, Schilling says she feels “incredibly blessed” that her cancer is “relatively easy to eradicate.”
“I am expected to make a full recovery, although it is a difficult road,” she wrote, adding, “I also feel so fortunate to have an incredible support network around me, both personally and professionally, my own family and my TV family It's been great the last few days.'
“It's going to be so hard to spend Christmas Day in the hospital instead of being surrounded by family, but getting rid of Terry (what I've been calling my tumor) will be the best gift of all,” she added .
Common symptoms of colon cancer include a change in bowel habits, rectal bleeding, anal or rectal pain, lumps, unexpected weight loss, fatigue, and anemia.
Doctors recommend that people at average risk for cancer start screening around age 45 and that people at higher risk should start screening earlier.
Treatment for colon cancer usually involves surgical removal of the cancer.
John's messages of support follow Mel's heartbreaking revelation on Wednesday morning. The MAFS expert told her fans that she had been diagnosed with colon cancer. She is pictured with her husband Gareth Brisbane and daughter Madison