Mum had ‘migraine’ and died two weeks later after doctors found tumour | UK | News

A mother tragically passed away just two weeks after experiencing a severe headache, which was later diagnosed as a fatal brain tumour. Nicolette Richardson, 41, initially attributed her headache to the strenuous nature of her work as an osteopath.

On November 17, 2020, she consulted her GP who diagnosed her with a migraine and advised her to visit A&E if the condition did not improve with painkillers within the day. However, an MRI scan at Charing Cross Hospital later that day revealed she had a stage four glioblastoma brain tumour.

An urgent operation on November 23 attempted to remove as much of the tumour as possible, but sadly resulted in paralysis and blindness for Nicolette. She succumbed to her illness on November 30, 2020, after being placed in a coma post-surgery.

Her partner, Austen Ham-Howes, 45, from Twickenham, southwest London, expressed his shock: “One minute, we were viewing houses where we planned to build a future together – the next, Nicolette was taken ill. Suddenly, I was thrust into a world where the mother of my child was fighting for her life.”

Nicolette, mother to eight year old Isabella, had developed the excruciating headache on November 16, 2020, and after visiting her GP the following day, she was told it was likely due to the stress and physical demands of running her osteopath business. Despite this initial diagnosis, she ended up at Charing Cross Hospital when her headache failed to respond to pain relief.

Nicolette was tragically diagnosed with a stage four glioblastoma brain tumour, the most aggressive type of brain cancer, following an MRI scan. Merely six days post-diagnosis, she underwent emergency surgery that resulted in severe injuries including paralysis on her left side, complete blindness in one eye, and partial vision loss in the other.

Austen lamented the rapid progression of the illness, saying: “Nicolette had zero symptoms, yet our whole lives were turned upside down in just weeks and we were cheated of the chance to have a fair fight against this disease.” Austen also shared his emotional struggle, admitting: “I know it was wrong, but I felt so jealous of people who had time to come to terms with this devastating disease.”

He likened the suddenness of their situation to “For us, it felt as quick as ripping off a plaster.”

Following the operation, Nicolette was placed into a coma by doctors, from which she never awoke, and on November 30, 2020, she was taken off life support. Now, five years later, Austen and his daughter Isabella are actively fundraising for Brain Tumour Research in memory of Nicolette.

Austen has been contributing £2 from every treatment at Richmond Osteopaths, the business owned by Nicolette, throughout Brain Tumour Awareness Month [March 2025].

He shared that he and Isabella strive to “live with positivity” as they honour Nicolette’s memory daily. He added: “Isabella is Nicolette’s mini-me and she is now eight years old. We have both supported each other to get to where we are today. We try to live with positivity, and we try to honour her mum every single day.”

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, added: “Nicolette’s story is incredibly moving and we’re grateful to Austen for sharing it with us.”

Highlighting the harsh realities of brain tumours, he said: “It’s a stark reminder that brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.”

He emphasized the importance of collaboration, stating: “It’s only by working together that we can change this.”

Expressing gratitude, he concluded: “We fully support Austen’s fundraising and would like to thank him and the team at Richmond Osteopaths for their support.” Austen shared his heartfelt wish, saying: “I’d love for there to one day be a cure for all types of brain tumours so that no-one has to experience what we went through.”