Neighbours star Kate Keltie has been diagnosed with stage four breast cancer.
The actress, 36, is best known for playing Michelle Scully on the Aussie soap between 1999 and 2003, before making a brief return in 2004.
Michelle was sister to mainstay Felicity ‘Flick’ Scully, who was portrayed by Holly Valance.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Kate, revealing that the cancer is aggressive and that it has spread to her lymph nodes, blood and hip bones.
‘Our beautiful Kate is going through the unimaginable,’ a statement on the page read.
‘She was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer.
‘Her cancer is extremely aggressive and it has spread to other parts of her body, including her lymph nodes, blood and hip bones (known as metastatic cancer).
‘This week the fight of her life begins as she starts chemotherapy.
‘She will lose her gorgeous hair and cannot carry children in the future. This is devastating news for anyone, let alone at the age of 36, with no family history of breast cancer.
‘Kate will then require chemo infusions every three weeks for the rest of her life, and potentially radiotherapy and surgery too.’
After the page was set up, Kate posted a message thanking everyone for their support.
‘I just wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your support, and messages and phone calls,’ she wrote. ‘It’s so amazing to know I have so many incredible people in my corner.
‘I’ve just got over COVID and I start my first round of chemotherapy tomorrow, and you really have no idea how my head space has changed going into it because of each and every one of you. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.’
Neighbours recently ended after 37 years on air, following Channel 5’s controversial decision to axe the beloved serial drama.
In a shock turn of events, however, Amazon Freevee stepped in to revive the soap, which will return to screens next year.
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