A fundraising campaign for a family devastated by the death of their two-year-old daughter on Christmas Day has seen an outpouring of public support, raising tens of thousands of pounds.
A Heartbreaking Christmas Tragedy
Little Isobel died after she wandered away from family celebrations at her home in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and fell into a garden pond. The toddler was discovered moments later, and despite immediate CPR and being rushed to a nearby hospital, she could not be saved.
The incident occurred on 25 December 2025 as the family gathered for Christmas. Relatives have described how Isobel and another child were playing with new toys between rooms when she briefly went missing. In that short moment, she accessed the garden and the pond.
Community Rallies with Overwhelming Support
A GoFundMe page was set up by relative Abigail Maxwell to support Isobel's parents, Tamara and Aaron. The campaign has seen an amazing response, raising approximately £20,000 towards a £30,000 target in the days following the tragedy.
The funds are intended to cover funeral expenses, counselling for the grieving family, and the creation of a memorial fairy garden in Isobel's honour. The page explains that Tamara is 25 weeks pregnant and will need significant emotional and psychological support to help her through the loss and prepare for the arrival of Isobel's baby brother.
A Temporary Pond and a Family's Unimaginable Grief
In a heartfelt statement on the fundraising page, the family clarified that the pond was a temporary feature in the garden of their new forever home, which they were renovating. It was surrounded by a temporary fence and was not an area the child would normally have accessed alone.
"We were celebrating as a family," the statement reads. "Our girls, two best friends, were surrounded by everyone... We couldn’t find her for a moment and in that moment, she’s gone. A tragic accident."
The family paid tribute to Isobel, describing her as "the happiest" and "so loved." Abigail Maxwell wrote of her own child's loss, calling Isobel "my little girls' bestest friend." She added, "There are just no words & nobody deserves this, and anyone who knows them, will agree, especially not them."
The publicly accessible GoFundMe continues to gather donations as the community seeks to offer practical support to a family navigating the worst possible loss.
