'I was told to change washing powder to cure my itch - now I'm planning my funeral'

A mum claims she was told to simply switch washing powders over her itchy breast - only to be planning her own funeral when it turned out to be cancer. Kimberley Brown first noticed a 'burning sensation' towards the armpit on her right breast in September 2020 so went to see her GP to get it checked out. The 39-year-old said she was recommended to swap her washing detergent and change to a sensitive body wash, later finding a bead-sized lump in her right breast. After undergoing a lump biopsy the following month, [October 2020] the NHS first responder was horrified to learn she had stage three breast cancer. After undergoing surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, mum-of-two Kimberley said she felt she could 'live again' when she was told she was cancer-free in March 2021 and in remission in October 2025. But in February 2026 Kimberly, who is also lead singer in a band and a football coach, started to experience pressure headaches and blurred vision and went back to her oncologist. MRI scans tragically revealed she had 10 lesions on her brain, multiple lesions on her liver, a 3cm mass on her lung and six tumours on her pelvis in August 2026. Unsure how long she has left, Kimberley has set up a fundraiser to help pay for her funeral and make memories with her two sons. Kimberley, from Devizes, Wiltshire, said: "I first started with a burning sensation in my boob towards the armpit and it was quite itchy. "I ignored it for a couple of weeks but it was persistent. It was almost like having sunburn on your skin but underneath. I phoned my doctor and I came in and I had a chat. "He said 'look I'm sure it's absolutely nothing to worry about, look at your detergent, maybe change your body wash.' [Later] I had a feel and felt a tiny little bead under my right armband and thought 'yeah maybe I should ring the doctor again'. "When we got there [to the hospital] my whole body went to lead, it was like my body knew. My consultant came in and I just remember her being very grey, she looked dumbfounded, and she said 'Kimberley I'm sorry to tell you this but you've got cancer'. Kimberley was told she was clear of cancer in March 2021 following treatment so went back to college and is now an acting student at university as well as the lead singer in a band. Months after being told she was in remission in October 2025, Kimberley began suffering extreme headaches and blurred vision. Kimberley said: "I felt like I could live again and I could breathe. "I started to get some visual disturbances, first of all it was like bubbles in the eyes. Then the pressure headaches started to get worse on the top of my head. I was smelling a burning smell [too]. "The PET CT scan showed that I had bone metastasis so I had five to six tumours all around my pelvis. Then she [the doctor] said about my brain, she said there's ten and they have grown considerably in size." Now hoping to have surgery to give her more time with her family, Kimberley wants to raise awareness of the symptoms she experienced. With months to live, Kimberley has set up a fundraiser to help pay for her funeral and support her children. You can donate to Kimberley's fundraiser here: Donate to Stop Time, and Help with Special moments, organized by Kimberley Brown Kimberley said: "I've bought boxes with loads of cards in so I can fill them in for the boys. I phoned up to book the funeral and they gave me prices and I was like 'we're never going to be able to afford this'. "I just can't believe it's got to where it's got to. It turned out to be a hell of a lot worse than we expected. All of the advertisements, all of the 'check your breasts', none of them list the itch. None of them list the burning sensation. I was 33 [when diagnosed], I'm young, there's still younger people than that going through the same, ignoring that itch. That needs to be on those posters, an itch, a feeling of discomfort, a burning."