'My partner thought she had a migraine - two weeks later she died'

A 41-year-old mum and osteopath tragically passed away within two weeks after what she assumed to be a severe headache from her demanding job was diagnosed as a fatal brain tumour. After seeking help for what she thought was a migraine on November 17, 2020, Nicolette Richardson's GP advised her to visit A&E if painkillers didn't alleviate the symptoms.

That same day an MRI scan at Charing Cross Hospital revealed a stage four glioblastoma brain tumour. Emergency surgery on November 23 attempted to remove as much of the tumour as possible; however, it resulted in paralysis and blindness. The mum-of-one succumbed to her condition and died on November 30, 2020, after going into a coma post-surgery.

Her partner, 45 year old Austen Ham-Howes from Twickenham, shared: "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."

On November 16, Nicolette first experienced the headache and visited her GP the following day, initially blaming her stressful and physically challenging work. Given her worsening situation, Nicolette followed her GP's advice and went to Charing Cross Hospital later on November 17.

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

Austen explained: "I was just so angry and confused. 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. 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."

After the operation, Nicolette was placed into a coma by doctors, but she never woke up and was taken off life support on 30 November 2020. Now, five years later, Austen and his daughter Isabella are dedicated to raising funds for Brain Tumour Research in memory of Nicolette.

During Brain Tumour Awareness Month [March 2025], he has been contributing £2 from every treatment at Richmond Osteopaths, the business Nicolette owned, to the cause. Austen reflects on their journey, saying that he and Isabella strive to "live with positivity" and pay tribute to Nicolette 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, 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 per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002."

Charlie continued: "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."

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