Maisie-Jade Thornton, 14, enjoyed a happy Christmas surrounded by her family (Picture: MEN Media)
A much-loved girl who was diagnosed with epilepsy died in her sleep just two days after Christmas.
Maisie-Jade Thornton, 14, enjoyed a happy Christmas with her family in Accrington, Lancashire, including dad, Stewart Thornton, and step-mum Mel Stott.
Her auntie Kelly Hodgson said Maisie-Jade was reasonably healthy before the diagnosis four years ago but soon started to have a number of seizures that were ‘all quite bad’.
Kelly said: ‘She had just gone to sleep as normal. Her mum found her in the morning when she went down.
‘They had like 13 or 14 family members over for Christmas Day, my brother and his girlfriend Mel.
‘She really enjoyed herself, she had a really good Christmas Day. I’ve got a picture of her smiling. She was happy with all her presents, she got all sorts.’
Kelly thinks Maisie-Jade may have had a seizure in her sleep due to her eplipsey.
She added: ‘She was just so nice and caring and she would do anything for anyone. She was always smiling, always. We called her “Moo” as well, the whole family called her Maisie Moo.
She died on December 27 (Picture: MEN Media)
Maisie-Jade with her dad Stewart (Picture: MEN Media)
‘It’s just broken us as a family. I mean it’s brought us together even more, but it’s just broken us. We don’t know what to do with ourselves.’
Tributes have poured in for the teen including from her dad Stewart who said ‘we will always love and miss her’.
Kelly has created a GoFundMe page towards her funeral which has reached more than £6,000 so far.
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Kelly added: ‘It’s amazing. We’re just so overwhelmed at people’s generosity and support.
‘We’re a big family anyway, but I’m just overwhelmed by how much it’s been shared.’
Those attending Maisie-Jane’s funeral will wear purple in honour of her favourite colour.
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She enjoyed a happy Christmas surrounded by her family.