Mum's warning after 'barely there' change on fingernail turned out to be terminal cancer that spread to her brain
Warning: this article contains graphic medical imagery that some readers may find distressing.
A mother that was diagnosed with stage four cancer while pregnant and just weeks from her due date has issued a warning to others.
Kelly Heather was told by doctors in April 2024 that she was in remission, seven years on from her first diagnosis in 2017.
And just a couple of weeks later, the 38-year-old discovered she was pregnant, in what she said was a positive moment in the midst of her health battle.
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However, on 2 December, Kelly suffered a seizure while 35 weeks pregnant, and she was told she had a brain tumour.
Kelly says she was previously refused any other scans after being given the 'all-clear', as her cancer was said to be at stage zero, or non-spreadable.
Originally from Gravesend, Kent, she has urged people to carry out more tests if they are at any stage of cancer, to ensure that no-one has to experience what she did.
She explained: "I was told so many times I was cancer free - or that my cancer wasn't going to spread.
"I tried to push for more scans but I was told no. I wish I had been that annoying patient who kept going.
"Now I'm in a position where I'm worried about leaving my kids without a mum, and we're having to have really difficult conversations about the future," she emotionally admitted.
The mother-of-four said that she never expected to be in this position, highlighting: "If I can help one person get diagnosed earlier - that would be worth it."
She visited the GP for the first time in 2017 when she spotted an odd line on her fingernail, and though she was told that there were 'no cancer cells showing', she was monitored every three months.
But as the line got darker and thicker, she was eventually diagnosed with melanoma, and had her nail bed removed, having been told that no cancer was left behind.
Within just six months, something that looked like a verruca then appeared on her finger, and doctors informed her that the cancer had returned and she would need to have her finger removed.
By March 2020, her fingertip had been removed, and doctors said she had the 'all-clear', and though she wanted a further scan, as her cancer was categorised as stage zero, Queen Victoria Hospital refused the request.
Two years on, Kelly found a lump in her armpit, discovering that the cancer had spread to the lymphatic system, and had to undergo a surgery to remove 20 lymph nodes.
She was told that just one had metastatic malignant melanoma, a type of skin cancer.
Kelly had undergone a year of immunotherapy at Maidstone Hospital, and as her scans were clearing up, she was classed as in remission by April 2024.
However, in December, she noticed something was wrong.
"My leg started flicking out and shaking uncontrollably, and within not even a minute, I was having a full seizure in the kitchen," Kelly recalled.
"I honestly thought I had died. I thought I was dying and all I could think was my kids have lost their mum and my baby is going to die.
"It’s one of the most traumatic things I’ve ever gone through," she admitted.
The tumour found was later confirmed to be stage four melanoma brain cancer, but she still managed to give birth to her fourth child, Te-Jay, by c-section on 9 December last year.
And just 10 days later, she underwent brain surgery.
She explained: "They removed most of the tumour, but they couldn’t remove all of it without causing permanent paralysis to my left side.
"So, a small part was left behind, which is why I have to have the targeted radiotherapy to kill the remaining tumour left in the brain."
Because of this, she is taking two immunotherapy drugs and she claimed there is a 50 percent chance that it will work.
"I don’t think I’ve fully accepted that I have terminal cancer," she admitted.
She explained that 'no mum' should ever have to be in that situation, and aims to stay strong for her children Preston, 17, Brendan, 15, Rhea, 7, and Te-Jay.
Kelly added: "I am pushing for further testing to be given regardless of what stage you are at."
In a statement, a spokesperson for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust said: "Ensuring patients receive the right personalised cancer treatment as quickly as possible is our priority.
"While we are unable to comment on individual cases, we encourage any patient who may have a question or concern to speak to the clinical teams providing their care or our Patient Advice and Liaison Service."
You can donate to Kelly's GoFundMe here.
Joshua Nair