Teddi Mellencamp’s Cancer Diagnosis Takes a Turn: What’s Next for the ‘RHOBH’ Star and Her Family

TV Housewives star Teddi Mellencamp is bravely fighting a life-or-death battle with cancer, but sources sadly reveal that the rampaging tumors have spread throughout her body — and now the tragic mom is focusing on the future of her three young kids after she’s gone!

The 43-year-old Real Housewives of Beverly Hills beauty has already suffered through about 20 surgeries over a three-year period for melanoma skin cancer. But on Feb. 12, doctors leveled her with the grim news that the savage disease had spread to her brain, forcing her to undergo emergency surgery to remove four large tumors and endure more grueling radiation treatment!

She was smacked with even more bad news March 7 after docs discovered three more tumors growing on her brain, and two others on her lungs.

While Teddi says doctors are hopeful “immunotherapy and radiation” will be effective, a source reveals that she’s been preparing her daughters Slate, 12, and Dove, 5, and son Cruz, 10, for a near-future life without their loving mom.

“Teddi is a fighter — anyone who has watched Real Housewives can attest to that,” a heartbroken friend notes.

“But it just saps her fighting spirit to think she had beaten this only to receive another horrible diagnosis.

“She had told her children that mommy’s sick, but she is going to be okay, and now it’s tearing her up to lay out the dark truth to them!”

Sadly, leading oncologist Dr. Jerome Spunberg tells GLOBE that the daughter of singer John Mellencamp faces a grim future of painful treatments and likely a tragic end.

“Melanoma is just notorious for spreading, and more times than not, more tumors pop up even as doctors treat the existing ones,” says Spunberg, who has not treated Teddi.

“She’s likely facing a period of very serious and painful medical ordeals, and the cure rate is unfortunately very low.”

Adds the friend: “Teddi does her very best to remain optimistic through her ordeals, but her main thought is with her family and beating this cancer for their sake.”