Woman leaves husband for high school crush after cancer diagnosis

Natalie and her new partner. She left her husband for him after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis. Photo / Supplied

When Natalie Whiteside suffered a seizure and was diagnosed with a brain tumour six years ago, she was told she had five years to live.

The terminal cancer diagnosis changed everything. The 45-year-old mother of two ended her marriage and began a relationship with her high school crush, news.com.au reports.

The new couple now live with Natalie's children from her marriage - Harriet, 11, and Bridget, 6.

"My marriage was already on the rocks," Natalie wrote in a piece for the Manchester Evening News.

"A lot of people said 'this tumour will make or break your marriage'. Two years after the news I thought 'if I'm going to die, I'm not going to live like this' - and we split up," she wrote.

"I thought we shouldn't be fighting each other, I should be fighting to live."

She went to high school with her current partner Dave. They had a crush on each other, but never spoke.

"Then he came to a fundraiser that my sister organised while he was the manager of [football club] FC United a couple of years ago. We just hit it off instantly. He's amazing, he's my angel," Natalie wrote.

"You can't get back time. It's as simple as that. Now I understand it's much better to get things out, to share, to let it out, to let people help you and support you."

She has shunned traditional cancer treatments and says she is living life in the moment.

"If it wasn't for my tumour, me and my (former) husband probably wouldn't speak to each other now. I want my children to have a good healthy relationship with their dad. Now, we get on better than "ever," she wrote.

Every time I go to the hospital they say 'you need to have surgery' and I'm not saying I would completely rule it out - it just hasn't been right up to now.

"I haven't had a seizure for two years. Now, I'm normal Nat. I want to be a fun mummy so that my kids can remember the good times. I want to live everyday like it's my last."

"I don't plan on going anywhere soon. I'm going to let nature take its course, but I'm going to fight like mad for it. I will get there, I will find a cure. I'm still here, six years down the line and I'm not too bad. Let's just look at the good stuff. I will get there, I want to find a cure."

Read Natalie's full piece here.