A fundraising campaign has seen an outpouring of support for a family devastated by the loss of their two-year-old daughter in a tragic garden pond accident on Christmas Day.
A Tragic Christmas Day Accident
Two-year-old Isobel wandered away from family celebrations at her home in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, on 25 December. She was discovered in a garden pond shortly afterwards. Despite immediate efforts to save her, including CPR performed by family members until an ambulance arrived, the toddler was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
The family had recently moved into the property, which they were renovating. The pond was a temporary feature in the garden and, according to relative Abigail Maxwell who organised the fundraiser, it had been secured with a temporary fence. "A pond that was not there through choice but due to a house move," the GoFundMe page explains, describing the incident as "a tragic accident."
Community Rallies with Financial Support
In the wake of the tragedy, a GoFundMe page was set up by Abigail Maxwell to support Isobel's parents, Tamara and Aaron. The campaign aims to raise £30,000 to help cover funeral expenses, counselling, and the creation of a memorial garden for their daughter.
The response from the public has been significant, with the fund raising approximately £20,000 so far. The page describes Isobel as "the happiest" girl, who was "so loved." It states the whole family is "absolutely heartbroken" by the loss.
Family's Heartbreaking Grief and Future Hopes
The tragedy is compounded for Isobel's mother, Tamara, who is 25 weeks pregnant. The fundraising page notes that she will need considerable emotional and psychological support to help her through the grieving process and to "have the strength for Isobel's baby brother."
The family's wish is to create a memorial fairy garden in Isobel's honour, a place of remembrance that can be visited by the public. The funds raised will help make this tribute a reality, alongside covering the practical and therapeutic costs following their immense loss.
"My little girls' bestest friend," Abigail Maxwell wrote in tribute. "There are just no words & nobody deserves this, and anyone who knows them, will agree, especially not them."
