A young mother's life was tragically cut short after she unknowingly suffered from a brain aneurysm, a condition that often goes unnoticed until it's too late. Vicki Roberts' daughter, Chloe, 24, was prescribed antibiotics for a suspected chest infection, unaware that she was carrying a ticking time bomb in her brain. This is a stark reminder of the importance of recognizing the subtle signs of brain aneurysms, which can be easily mistaken for common ailments.
Chloe, a mother of one, had been feeling unwell in the days leading up to her death last November. She attributed her cough to a chest infection and her headaches to her glasses. However, what she didn't know was that she was suffering from a brain aneurysm, a weak, bulging spot in an artery wall within the brain that can suddenly rupture, causing dangerous brain bleeds that can be life-threatening. Most aneurysms are small, but larger ones can cause headaches, pain around the eye, double vision, and dizziness.
Vicki, from Hereford, Herefordshire, said, "Never in a million years did I ever think [Chloe] would be gone before me. Walking out of the hospital knowing my baby girl was gone was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do." In November 2025, Vicki received a call while looking after Chloe's daughter Nancy, four, saying that she had collapsed. Vicki said, "Chloe was feeling a bit poorly but we just thought it was a chest infection because she had a cough. She got some antibiotics. I spoke to her on and off throughout the day then I put my granddaughter to bed at 6.30 pm. At 7 pm, I had a phone call from my daughter’s new boyfriend saying she wasn’t breathing. I said ‘yeah right, you’re joking’. Then he showed me the emergency services working on her." Paramedics worked on Chloe for around an hour at the scene before managing to restart her heart so she could be taken to hospital. But Chloe never regained consciousness.
Vicki said, "I met the ambulance at the hospital and they took her straight in while we waited in the relatives' room. It felt like the longest wait of my life. She had a CT scan and then they told me she had had a brain aneurysm that had popped and caused a massive bleed on the brain. There was nothing they could do. They let me kiss her before they took her as I said it might be my last time." Brain aneurysms are relatively common, affecting about one in every 30 people in the UK. Most are small and don’t cause harm, but larger ones can cause headaches, pain around the eye, double vision, and dizziness. If a brain aneurysm bursts, it can cause a bleed on the brain called a subarachnoid hemorrhage, with the main symptom being a sudden, severe headache.
Vicki had to break the devastating news to Nancy, who now lives with her full time. She said, "It broke my heart. I had to tell her she was never going to see her mummy again which broke her little heart. Chloe was only 24. She had just started a new relationship and she was happy. Chloe was starting life again." Vicki said Chloe had "a heart of gold" and was loved by everyone who knew her. "Life without her is not the same. It’s way too quiet and I miss her voice. Her daughter is the double of her mummy and very noisy like her. It still doesn’t feel real and I’m still waiting for her to ring me but I know that’s never going to happen. My daughter was bubbly and had a heart of gold. She would help anyone and everyone. Her smile lit up any room she went into and she had a lot of friends." Vicki's story serves as a stark reminder of the importance of recognizing the subtle signs of brain aneurysms and seeking medical attention promptly. It also highlights the devastating impact of such a loss on a young mother and her family.
