A mother of two from Dartford, Kent, was devastated to learn that what she thought was a Christmas stress headache was actually stage four cancer. Rose Biggs, 35, began experiencing tension headaches two weeks before Christmas last year, which she attributed to the pressures of planning the festive season.
The pain worsened, and on New Year's Eve, while working as a beautician, it became unbearable. She visited her GP and an optician, believing her blurred vision meant she needed glasses. The optician noticed pressure on her eyes, leading to an MRI at Darent Valley Hospital, where she was told she had two lesions on her brain.
Rose had previously battled breast cancer twice, including a mastectomy in October, and thought she was clear. However, the cancer had spread to her brain, becoming stage four. She underwent surgery on January 27 at The Royal London Hospital to remove a five-centimetre tumour from the back of her head. A smaller four-millimetre tumour on her temple could not be removed, and she will begin radiotherapy next week.
Despite the grim diagnosis, Rose remains positive for the sake of her children, aged seven and ten. 'Even though it is stage four, I found it really early so they are positive that I will live for a long time,' she said. 'You just have to be positive otherwise I will crumble and I can’t because I have got two kids.'
Her husband, Sam, 37, who runs a scaffolding company, is organising a three peaks challenge—climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowden—with 12 participants to raise money for Cancer Research. The fundraiser has already collected over £13,000. Sam says he is researching treatments abroad and will not stop until his wife is healthy again.
