My Story

My name is Melica Meredith. I am a life coach, wellness advocate, artist, and Mother. One night, during a long deep-and-meaningful with my son Dillon after he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 Bowel Cancer @ age 27, he recalled one of his fondest memories growing up was of me singing while lost in my painting with paint brushes in my hair. This is where Dillon's Legacy - my art revisited - was born, as one life slipped away, and another journey started; I had long ago put down my palettes and pursued nursing as a career, only to pick them up again that night. We chose an abstract medium together after some 'internet curiosity' that represented life through movement, clarity, and expression. Each piece celebrates my Motherhood and captures the spirit of my son's journey through his life, from his birth to his passing.

I began my 'artistry' as a means of pursuing calm and peace in a hectic world. I often experimented with sketching, nudes, and watercolors. Breathing life through art brings unconditional love, peace, and new beginnings; unconditional love is an invitation to love without judgement by seeing the beauty and fragile nature of life. I hope my art stirs the soul by providing love, hope, and joy as it connects to life through human experiences and an escape from our busy lives; it provides a meditative state that promotes healing and is an invitation to find peace and tranquility in my places of grief. Each piece I create is borne by a memory, a thought, or an emotion; colours speak to everyone, as it can enhance or expose a mood, or change it in a moment forever lost.

I believe art in any form has the ability to bring healing and allows our souls a non-judgmental space to love, grieve, and breathe one’s deepest emotions.

I started this journey in 2019 as a way to raise awareness for Bowel Cancer, especially in young adults; proceeds from the sale of my pieces are donated to Red Rose at St George Hospital to support and assist those struggling with the often swift and tragic diagnoses of a life taken far too quickly.                                                                          

You are never too young!

My son Dillon Stephen Barnett loved to travel, loved his work for Mission Australia as a Senior Case Manager, loved life, family & friends, and everything life had to offer. All of my Artwork is dedicated in the celebration of his life.

On the 4th of April 2017, Dillon was 27 years old when he was diagnosed with stage 4, terminal Colorectal Bowel Cancer; he was transferred to St George Hospital under the care of Professor David Morris, where he underwent a full Peritonectomy & HIPEC Surgery. He spent over 3 months in ICU and HD.

The Journey

Dillon required multiple life-saving surgeries requiring him to be on the operating table for more than ten hours at a time; his initial treatment required three major surgeries in the space of a month, with minimal recovery time in-between. Unfortunately, on his third surgery, he was left with a high-transect Stoma after most of his bowel tract was necrotic and removed. He was placed into a medically induced coma and transferred to the intensive care unit, then spent 81 days in and out consciousness in the High Dependence ward. Long-term intensive care is debilitating on its own, but with three surgeries and extended recovery, there are severe complications that occurred, which impacted his recovery; he faced the struggles of blood clots, infections - particularly pneumonia - and other lung infections. Heart problems, being nauseous & unable to eat, and being feed through a central line in his neck, vivid nightmares, and hallucinations from fevers and medications, just to name a few. Secondarily - and unknown at the time - Dillon also tackled another unexpected result of being on the operating table for so long; he lost the ability to walk after suffering nerve damage and a condition called Neuro-Palsy with stroke like symptoms. He had lost the ability to weight bear (stand independently) and walk without assistance; this required him to wear a full leg brace and walker to move around on his own. Dillon’s independence was everything to him, and he refused to accept what the doctors had stated… “You will never walk again unaided”. Every chance Dillon had, he worked on his mobility, walking the halls of the ward with his brother, sister, and myself.

The Inspiration

He loved life, worked hard learning to walk again, went back to driving, and pushed himself to train; he was never angry, did not complain or feel sorry for himself.  His fragile body became stronger every day; he was not going to let cancer - combined with a high-output stoma, rounds of intense chemotherapy, or being told he was never going to walk again unaided - define who he was. Dillon became focused on living the best kick-ass life he could have while he was blessed enough to have it. He went back to work helping in the Juvenile Justice System and Courts, went on holidays with friends and family, and focused on making a difference where he could. He held fund raisers, donating thousands of dollars to support others facing the same diagnoses. A few weeks before his passing on the 3rd September 2019, Dillon spent over $10,000 from his savings to buy toys, games, books, etc. and donated them to Westmead Children’s Hospital where he started his journey in life after suffering two strokes and multiple heart-attacks before he was a year old, requiring him to undergo open heart surgery.