Mel Schilling clung to a final hope of overcoming cancer before one call changed everything. The beloved MAFS star has died at the age of 54, just days after revealing cancer had spread to her brain. A firm favourite on the show, Mel's smile and charisma lit up every room. But behind the scenes, the dating coach was struggling with her declining health. Her husband Gareth Brisbane said in a heartbreaking statement: "Melanie Jane Brisbane-Schilling passed away peacefully today, surrounded by