Woman who ignored stabbing pain for months after mum's death later diagnosed with cancer

“You don’t even know what to say. You just feel like you’re jumping out of a plane without a parachute.”But exactly three months after her mother’s death, the 34-year-old received her own diagnosis. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say “It was June 17, so three months to the day that mum passed, that they sat me down and said that I had cancer,” Fiona recalled.“That was pretty devastating. I think the worst thing about that is the first person you want to call is your mum.”Her mother Anne's health troubles began in September 2023 when she developed a persistent sore throat and hoarse voice, symptoms initially attributed to laryngitis by her doctors.The condition failed to improve, and in January 2024, further investigations revealed a tumour in her upper lung pressing against her voice box.LATEST DEVELOPMENTSTwins stunned to find they have different dads after home DNA test in UK's first caseShortage of key blood pressure drug triggers one-month prescription limit for UK patientsHow to live longer: Doctor warns 3 habits secretly 'accelerate ageing'Within weeks, the prognosis worsened. By mid-February, scans confirmed the cancer had spread to her lungs, liver and spleen, making it terminal.Anne underwent chemotherapy and immunotherapy but eventually chose to discontinue treatment, choosing to spend her final months free from side effects.By Christmas 2024, the cancer had reached the brain, and her condition deteriorated rapidly. She died on May 17, surrounded by her family.“We all knew that was probably going to be our last Christmas before this had happened, because of the situation, and we were all mentally prepared for that to be the last Christmas,” Fiona said.Although Fiona had been aware of her own health concerns before her mother’s death, she had brushed them off until she experienced a sharp stabbing sensation in her neck.Because a scan had roughly highlighted signs of a possible cyst on her thyroid three months prior, a surgeon recommended surgery to remove the affected thyroid section for biopsy.“Up until that point, it had never caused me any pain,” Fiona said.The prognosis deteriorated within weeks, and by mid-February, scans showed that the cancer had spread to the rest of her lungs, liver and spleen, making it terminal. Following diagnosis, Fiona underwent a complete thyroidectomy and partial lymph node removal six weeks later. Fortunately, the cancer had not spread and was successfully eliminated. I haven't really had time to grieve, because I was just so worried about my health and also not getting any sleep at all, because my baby was breastfeeding every three hours, basically for two years.I'm going through the worst time of my life and that support's just gone, and I haven't even registered that it's gone. I was crying all the time, every day I would cry, probably for the first 10 months. With the help of counselling and antidepressants, she managed to resume her midwifery role in November 2025. Throughout the ordeal, she found comfort through the charity Motherless Mothers, which offers support to mothers who have lost their own.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter