‘It’s not hit us 100 percent that she’s not coming back’
HEARTBROKEN FAMILY PAY TRIBUTE AFTER ‘PRINCESS’ MOLLIE, 7, DIES IN SLEEP
A GRIEVING family has paid tribute to a seven-year-old girl who died in her sleep.
Mollie Green, from Clifton, suffered from Rett Syndrome throughout her short life.
Her and her family’s struggle with the condition was documented in 2019 when her mother, Sam Lacy, spoke about the rare disease to raise awareness of it.
And, while many who live with the condition make it to adulthood, Mollie died on Sunday, March 24, after a suspected seizure during the night.
Auntie Kim Lacy said: “Her mum and dad are absolutely heartbroken. She’s in a daze. We all are. I don’t think any of us are really believing it. It’s not hit us 100 percent that she’s not coming back. I’ve found it extremely hard to deal with.”
Mollie was diagnosed with Rett syndrome in July 2019 at the age of three. She’d been diagnosed with autism some time before but, displaying other symptoms, including epilepsy through seizures and wringing her hands, her family fought for a further diagnosis, which took “forever” and “going through everything you could imagine” before landing on Rett’s, said Kim.
The condition almost exclusively affects girls and symptoms do not tend to appear until the age of around 6-18 months.
Mollie could not talk or walk, but her older sibling and two younger siblings are able-bodied.
Since 2019 her condition had stayed relatively stable before getting “progressively worse” over the last six months, Kim said. But the condition proved no boundary for the youngster, who was described as a “princess” by everyone she met.
Kim said: “She was the loudest one in the room, without even talking. You knew she was there. She made her presence known. She’d instantly smile when you’d walk in the room and say good morning to her. You could sing to her and she’d smile and she’d clap and laugh. You could just tell by looking at her that she was happy – the happiest little girl you could ever meet.
“Her condition never got her down. It never stopped her from doing anything. She would always, always be smiling and laughing. Even when was having a bad day, when she was anxious or hadn’t slept, she’d still be happy and smiling.
“She loved cuddling and when the family was together.”
The heartbroken family are now planning for Mollie’s funeral – her “last adventure”, as described by her mother. A Justgiving fundraising page has been set up to try and raise money to give her the send-off her parents feel she deserves.
Kim said: “We weren’t expecting this and no parent with a child that young should be even thinking about having to save to pay for a funeral. Her mum trying to even process the fact she has to do a funeral is one thing, never mind wondering where she’s going to get the funds from to do it.
“She wants a yellow coffin for Mollie because that was her favourite colour, and a horse-drawn carriage because she was everyone’s princess. She wants her headstone to be in a bed because she absolutely loved being cuddled up in bed with her teddies and fluffy blanket. We want to make sure she gets everything she deserves in this last moment we can have as a family together.”
Mollie’s mum described her as an “inspiration” in a touching tribute on the fundraiser.
“The most beautiful girl I have ever seen... sleep tight my baby girl until mummy gets there to wrap you in my arms and we’re together again. Forever my Rett girl.. forever my inspiration.. forever my daughter.”
Donations can be made at justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kimberleylacy