News Mum forced to avoid stress as ticking time-bomb tumour triggered by hormones could kill her -- Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email A mum is forced to go through life avoiding all stress due to a ticking time-bomb tumour in her face. The massive egg-shaped tumour on Laura Bever's face is caused by a tangle of blood vessels beneath the skin, and any stress could cause a flare-up, with blood being diverted from the brain causing a fatal stroke. -- Until then, she's trying to live like 'Little Miss Happy' and is avoiding stress since hormones released while stressed could increase the swelling of the potentially lethal tumour. -- base of my nose, it's the shape of an egg and causes me a lot of pain. "When I was going through a lot of emotional stress, it increased the size of my AVM because of the hormones that were released. "Now I'm trying to escape from anything stressful - even crying hurt my face too, so I have to take walks or distract myself. -- "Everything I do revolves around my AVM and trying to remain happy to keep stress-free and any avoid hormonal changes - it's like trying to be little miss happy. -- Laura pictured now Laura's tumour could resurface if stress hormones caused the vessels to swell and direct blood away from the brain (Photo: Caters) -- Read More * Doctors told schoolboy his headaches were exam stress but it was actually a brain tumour -- "I'm on low doses of blood pressure medication now that calm my nerves, without it I'd be a lot more stressed. "I'm trying to keep positive, monitor my adrenaline and to keep my stress levels down." AVMs are believed to affect 0.02% of the global population, accounting -- most well-known trigger is to do with the hormones. "Stress is linked to hormones and over time lesions can grow, particularly during puberty or pregnancy where there is a rapid change in hormones. -- * Pregnancy * Blood pressure * Stress * Cancer