Nicolette Richardson, 41, from Twickenham, London, went to see the doctor with a headache and tragically died just two weeks after her devastating illness was diagnosed
A mum whose sudden headache was put down to stress found out the next day she had a brain tumour – and died two weeks later.
Nicolette Richardson, 41, from Twickenham, London, went to see her doctor on November 16, 2020, and it was thought the headache was likely to be down to stress and strain from her job as an osteopath job. But she was still advised to visit A&E if the pain persisted after taking painkillers.
And having gone to Charing Cross Hospital later that day, an MRI scan revealed the devastating news that Nicolette had a stage four glioblastoma brain tumour. She had emergency surgery on November 23 to remove as much of the tumour as possible and the surgery left Nicolette with paralysis and blindness.
While Nicolette’s condition worsened and she was placed into a coma before sadly passing away on November 30, 2020. Her partner, Austen Ham-Howes, 45, has expressed the shock and impact of the swift turn of events.
He said: “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.”
A stage four glioblastoma brain tumour is the deadliest type of brain cancer and Nicolette went down hill very fast. Just six days following her diagnosis, Nicolette had the emergency surgery, which tragically left her paralysed on her left side, blind in one eye, and with only partial vision in the other. .
Devastated by the abrupt upheaval of their lives, Austen said, “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.” And it was speed of the decline that made it especially difficult, he said, continuing: “I know it was wrong, but I felt so jealous of people who had time to come to terms with this devastating disease. For us, it felt as quick as ripping off a plaster.”
Following her operation, doctors put Nicolette into a coma, and heartbreakingly, she never woke up again . Now, five years later, Austen along with his daughter Isabella, are dedicated to raising funds for Brain Tumour Research in loving memory of Nicolette. Through Richmond Osteopaths, the clinic once run by Nicolette, Austen has been contributing £2 from every treatment during Brain Tumour Awareness Month [March 2025]. .
Describing their new approach to life, Austen reveals that he and Isabella, who is now eight and a spitting image of her mum, support each other in their journey of healing: “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, said: “Nicolette’s story is incredibly moving and we’re grateful to Austen for sharing it with us.
“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. It’s only by working together that we can change this. We fully support Austen’s fundraising and would like to thank him and the team at Richmond Osteopaths for their support.”