Mum cries 'my babies' after being told mystery leg pain was incurable cancer

Mum cries 'my babies' after being told mystery leg pain was incurable cancer EXCLUSIVE: Mum of three, Lisa Rimmer, suffered with extreme knee pain, night sweats and fatigue before having her entire life turned upside down following an MRI scan A mum who was suffering from excruciating knee and leg pain for a year cried "my babies" after being told she had a rare form of blood cancer. Lisa Rimmer, 36, from Helsby, Cheshire, had just finished a full day of work as a self-employed make-up artist in June 2025 when she got an excruciating pain in her knee. When she mentioned the pain to one of her clients, who works as a nurse, she was told to immediately go to A&E at the Countess of Chester Hospital for help. First came checks for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), given Lisa's complex medical history which includes a stroke during pregnancy and being born with congenital emphysema - a rare developmental lung condition. When DVT was ruled out, doctors suggested Lisa had suffered a sports injury, despite the mum explaining she had done nothing to cause it. Subsequent tests for gout and arthritis also came back clear. After having an MRI in October 2025, doctors suspected that Lisa had a condition called osteonecrosis - bone tissue death usually seen in chemotherapy patients, severe alcoholics, or long-term steroid users - none of which applied to Lisa. When Lisa came back to her consultant with other symptoms such as drenching night sweats and overwhelming fatigue - she was told she'd be seen routinely in another 3 months. Cheshire Mum given devastating lymphoma diagnosis Three months later after being sent for the routine MRI, Lisa was referred to specialists at Oswestry Bone Hospital after major changes were spotted. Lisa said: "The consultant came in and I'll never forget his face. His whole like demeanour changed and he sat down on the bed and said the MRI wasn't consistent with osteonecrosis and had got worse. "I was referred to Oswestry Bone Hospital and they called me for a biopsy, and said to bring somebody with me. I thought 'it's just because not going to be able to drive after me pre-op' - so we went in and they basically said we think it's lymphoma, but we have to do a bone biopsy. "The first thing that I said when they told me about the cancer was 'my babies' like I need to be here for my babies. The oncologist said you're still going to be here for your babies - it's going to be a tough road but at that time they told me it was curable. "I would have never associated leg pain with blood cancer. You can always put it off as something else, but I knew in my gut that something wasn't right." Doctors initially suspected Lisa had a form of B-cell lymphoma and the mum prepared herself for the gruelling and aggressive fight ahead, holding onto the promise of a cure. But just days before her chemotherapy was set to begin, results changed Lisa's diagnosis to high-grade follicular lymphoma - a cancer that is incurable. The diagnosis has upended every aspect of her life. As a self-employed business owner, Lisa was unable to secure critical illness insurance in the past due to her pre-existing lung condition. Now, forced to step away from her bridal makeup business, Lisa Rimmer Bridal for at least six months due to being immunocompromised. When explaining her diagnosis and possible hair loss to her children - eight-year-old twin boys Vincent and Ralph, and a four-year-old daughter Olive - the family found light in a dark situation. Her youngest thought it was hysterical that her mum was going to "look like Granddad," breaking the ice and giving the family a moment of laughter amid the heartbreaking news. Lisa said: "I'm quite a pragmatic person because life's thrown so many things at me. I had a stillbirth at 19, I had a stroke when I was pregnant, life has thrown so many medical obstacles my way. "It's made me see the good in so many things - like see the little positives it being treatable. It's not curable so I see the positive in that it's treatable. I'm just holding on to the hope even though they can't cure it - they can't treat it." Since being diagnosed, Lisa's close friends have set up a GoFundMe page to help Lisa and her family financially while she undergoes six rounds of intensive chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy. The page has raised almost £7,000 in just over a week. Lisa has also been sharing her story including her diagnosis, symptoms and every step she has been through so far on TikTok. The mum said: "So many of my clients, family and friends were sending me messages and I did find it a little bit overwhelming to reply to everybody, but I also wanted to get the story out there because I would never like I said have associated my symptoms with having cancer. "I've found a little bit of comfort in watching other people's stories on TikTok and thought if I can add to that and help... somebody even if it helps one person." Symptoms of high-grade follicular lymphoma According to the charity Lymphoma Action - Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that develops when white blood cells grow out of control. Follicular lymphoma is the most common type of low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma. About 2,300 people are diagnosed with follicular lymphoma every year in the UK and it can develop at any age - but it is more common in people over 60. Symptoms of the cancer include unexplained weight loss, fevers, drenching sweats - especially at night, frequent infections, or having difficulty getting over infections and fatigue. For more information about follicular lymphoma visit the Lymphoma Action website.