Teddi Mellencamp credits daughter Dove for strength during stage four melanoma battle

Teddi Mellencamp has credited her youngest daughter, Dove, with giving her strength during her ongoing battle with stage four melanoma. 

The 44-year-old TV personality, who first received a stage two melanoma diagnosis in 2022 and revealed in April 2025 that the cancer had progressed to stage four, has undergone multiple surgeries and immunotherapy to combat the disease.

Dove, now six, was diagnosed with lambdoid craniosynostosis in 2020 and underwent life-saving surgery, a journey that Mellencamp says taught her resilience and courage. 

Teddi, who also has daughter Slate, 12, and son Cruz, 11, with her estranged husband Edwin Arroyave, posted a heartfelt birthday tribute to Dove on Instagram, calling her a “miracle baby” and praising her for teaching the family how to enjoy life despite challenges.

Mellencamp reflected on missing Dove’s fifth birthday due to hospitalization but expressed gratitude for being able to celebrate her sixth. 

She has had 17 melanoma spots and four brain tumors removed, and her immunotherapy treatments have caused the cancerous growths to “significantly” shrink.

In October 2025, she revealed tests showed her cancer was “undetectable,” and she clarified that she is still in immunotherapy. 

Speaking on the Two T’s in a Pod podcast, she stressed that while she is stage four, there is currently no trace of cancer, adding that her father, singer John Mellencamp, was referring to her mental state rather than her physical health.