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A mother was left stunned after discovering her 'Christmas stress headache' was in fact a life-threatening condition. Rose Biggs, 35, began experiencing what she believed to be tension headaches a fortnight before Christmas last year - attributing them to the pressures of festive preparations.

But the discomfort intensified and became excruciating whilst she was working as a beautician on New Year's Eve, prompting her to seek medical attention from her GP. The mum-of-two, from Dartford, Kent, also arranged an optician's appointment, thinking she required glasses as her eyesight had begun to deteriorate, where they detected something exerting pressure on her eyes.

Following a night spent sleeping in the corridor at Darent Valley Hospital awaiting an MRI scan alongside her husband, Sam, Rose received the devastating diagnosis that she had cancer, with two lesions identified on her brain. Rose had previously fought breast cancer on two occasions and believed she was in the clear after undergoing a mastectomy, but tragically this cancer had metastasised to her brain - progressing to stage four.

She said: "About two weeks before Christmas I started getting headaches, but they were only tension headaches. My vision started going a bit and I thought I just needed glasses. I thought it might just be stress from Christmas, it is always busy. It wasn't constant so I just started drinking more water.

"They told me that I had two lesions on the brain. We really thought the worst. It was awful, I just wanted to get out of there and get home. Sam got really upset and I was just a bit shocked to be honest."

Rose underwent surgery to remove the tumour at the back of her head, which doctors confirmed was approximately five centimetres in size, at The Royal London Hospital on January 27. As the smaller four millimetre tumour on her temple could not be removed, she is due to begin radiotherapy next week.

The mother says it has been an incredibly difficult period for both herself and her two children, aged seven and ten, yet she has strived to keep a positive outlook. She said: "Even though it is stage four, I found it really early so they are positive that I will live for a long time, which is nice to hear because obviously you do think the worst.

"You just have to be positive otherwise I will crumble and I can't because I have got two kids. I don't want to live my life like that. It is the cards that I have been dealt, unfortunately."

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Rose's battle with cancer began back in December 2022 when she discovered a lump on her breast whilst in the bath and sought medical advice. Subsequent tests confirmed it was breast cancer, leading to Rose undergoing a lumpectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which she described as "horrible."

During her treatment, Rose lost the majority of her hair and became severely ill, but she ultimately achieved remission.

Tragically, however, a new lump emerged in January, and a biopsy confirmed the cancer had returned, leading to a mastectomy in October and further rounds of chemotherapy.

She said: "When I was diagnosed with breast cancer I was shocked, I couldn't believe it really. I was only 32 and I had no family history of it. I am quite fit and healthy, but I don't think cancer really cares about that or your age."

Rose's husband Sam, 37, who owns a scaffolding firm, is now taking on the three peaks challenge to raise funds for Cancer Research in tribute to his "warrior" wife. The gruelling challenge, which involves scaling Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowden, will be tackled by a team of 12 and has already surpassed £13,000 in donations.

Sam, who met Rose 15 years ago through mutual friends, says he has been investigating treatments overseas and is determined to keep searching until his wife has fully recovered. He said: "It has been very difficult. We have got two children, so it has been very tough mentally. They know what is going on just not the extent and how dangerous it is.

"I am trying to be positive and research alternative treatments. I would go to the other side of the world to get her treatment if it meant prolonging her life or helping her survive. We are quite lucky really, we have got loads of support. Within 24 hours we had like £10K donated just from people locally. It is really overwhelming to see.

"It has been a difficult three years. I drive myself mental with it. I can't rest until I can help her and hopefully get her healthy again."

You can visit and donate to the GoFundMe here.