A family have been left heartbroken by the death of an “amazing, courageous” mother whose headache at a football match turned out to be a brain tumour.

Nicky Stonham from Herne Bay had been enjoying a day out at the Women’s FA Cup Final with her husband Chris when she first noticed the pain.

It got worse in the following weeks, which prompted a visit to A&E and the devastating diagnosis in May 2023 of a glioblastoma on her right temporal lobe.

After multiple surgeries and chemotherapy, Nicky died on January 21, 2025, aged 52.

She left behind her husband Chris and 14-year-old daughter Callie, who have been gathering donations and raising awareness of the disease.

Chris, 53, told KentOnline: “We just put the headache down to the atmosphere, the noise, the train journey up there, and it being a hot, long day.

“But as the week went on, her headache got worse and worse and to the point where she was struggling to sleep, eat anything, drink anything, and nothing was touching it painkiller-wise.

“She eventually went to the doctors, and they thought it might be a menopause headache.

“So they gave her some tablets for that and said they should clear it within two hours of taking them. Unfortunately, it didn't.”

The next day, Nicky woke up in agony and was told to go to A&E by the pharmacist.

They were then told a mass had been found and were referred to King's College Hospital in London.

“She had no other symptoms,” said Chris.

“No dizzy spells, no seizures, she didn’t feel sick or anything like that.

“It was just purely this headache that didn't go away.

“It would be really easy to put it down to something else. We thought it was just a migraine to start with.”

Nicky, who worked at M&S in Canterbury and Westwood Cross in Thanet, had a craniotomy to remove most of the tumour, then chemotherapy.

“She was positive throughout,” Chris said.

“She was always smiling, always laughing, always joking, didn't want any fuss around her or anything.

“They were happy with that treatment, and it seemed to be working quite nicely.

“Then she got a second tumour, but they were able to do another craniotomy, which was good.”

Keen to help future sufferers, Nicky went on a clinical trial aimed at exploring treatment options for secondary regrowth of tumours.

However, in November 2024, the family was hit with another devastating blow.

“She had check-ups every 12 weeks, and during one of those, they found a tumour growing again in the same place,” said Chris.

“We moved on to chemotherapy, and during that, she became ill and ended up in hospital.

“There, they found another tumour growing - this time on the opposite side of her brain.”

The new growth affected the right side of her body, leaving Nicky mostly bed-bound.

This tumour was inoperable, and she was moved into a hospice.

“She was amazing, and a role model for our daughter,” said Chris.

“The strength and courage she showed was second to none.”

Before Nicky’s death, the couple had been keen to complete a fundraising walk together.

However, her health deteriorated before they got the chance.

In March, Chris, Callie, his sister Carol and several other family members and friends walked 131 miles in Herne Bay and the surrounding areas in aid of The Brain Tumour Charity.

The number signified all the different known types of brain tumours.

Chris added: “What started out as a walk we were going to complete together ended up being a walk in her memory.

“I did four walks a week where people could join, and we did two family walks, where we could just have time to ourselves and reflect - or do it on my own.

“The response from people was phenomenal, with the support and the comfort that it gave.

“It was nice listening to stories about Nick, where she worked with people.

“People came along who she used to go to school with.

“People that Nick didn't even know but knew me turned up and joined the walks.

“She didn’t like fuss around her, but the fact that all these people turned up - I think she'd be proud of what we’ve achieved.”

The couple’s elderly mothers both joined in and a friend from Australia even completed the second half of the challenge down under.

The efforts raised £8,700 for the charity.

You can donate to the Just Giving page here.

Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40.

Over 12,000 people are diagnosed each year with a 'primary brain tumour', including 500 children and young people.

Over 5,300 people lose their lives to a brain tumour each year.

Brain tumours reduce life expectancy by, on average, 27 years - the highest of any cancer.

Just 12% of adults survive for five years after diagnosis.