A mother who needed power naps before the school run has been diagnosed with breast cancer after doctors found 13 tumours in her breast. Claire Danvers, 39, from Poole, Dorset, initially blamed her extreme fatigue on being a busy, self-employed mum.
Claire began experiencing severe back pain, tiredness, and nausea in early 2024. She said her eyes would feel heavy after lunch and her body would physically hurt, prompting her to take naps before picking up her children. She was taking painkillers daily for back pain, which was initially attributed to endometriosis.
In February 2025, she discovered a lump in her right breast but delayed seeing her GP until April 2025, after her husband urged her. Doctors referred her for a biopsy, and at the end of May 2025 she was diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma, with 13 tumours measuring 9.7cm in total.
Claire described the diagnosis as 'traumatising' and said telling her children, aged six and eight, was the hardest thing she has ever done. She underwent a mastectomy with reconstruction in June 2025, followed by four months of chemotherapy and 15 sessions of radiotherapy. She is now on hormone therapy.
Claire urged other women to advocate for themselves if they notice symptoms, saying the fear of leaving her children behind is 'horrendous'. She added that she had explained away her symptoms due to stress and busy life.
