Two young children from Staffordshire have been left orphaned less than two weeks before Christmas, following the sudden death of their mother just two years after their father passed away.
A Devastating Double Tragedy
Louise Smith, aged 42 from Clayton, died on Friday, December 12, after suffering a sudden heart attack. Her death comes two years after her partner, Steven Smith, died from an aggressive form of brain cancer. The couple's children, five-year-old Ellie and three-year-old Alfie, are now in the care of Louise's sister, Tracy Green.
Tracy recounted the harrowing moment she discovered her sister. "I went to her house and we decided we'd go to London for the New Year's Eve fireworks," she said. "I went into the bathroom for ten minutes. I came back out and I saw her lying on the floor. I tried to wake her up but she was unresponsive."
She described calling an ambulance while crying uncontrollably, with the young children witnessing the entire traumatic event. Despite the efforts of paramedics, Louise could not be saved.
A Family Ravaged by Illness
The family's ordeal began when Steven Smith first noticed he was feeling unusually forgetful. Being health-conscious, he visited a check-up van for reassurance. "He was feeling a bit worried that he was getting early-onset dementia or something," Tracy explained. Further tests at Royal Stoke University Hospital revealed the shocking truth: Steven had terminal brain cancer.
Doctors initially gave him a prognosis of five years, but he died just six weeks after his diagnosis, leaving Louise to raise their two small children alone.
Tracy said her sister struggled with depression following Steven's death but had recently begun to show signs of recovery. "She had started to get better recently. We were making plans for Christmas this year," Tracy shared, making the sudden loss even more cruel.
Heartbreak at Christmas
Tracy, who has no children of her own, is now the primary guardian for Ellie and Alfie. She described her sister as a "bubbly, bright and lovely person" and her best friend. The children, however, are struggling to comprehend their loss.
"They don't really understand what's happened," Tracy said. "They keep asking where their mum is. I tell them she's with the angels now. Then they tell me that they want to see her for Christmas. It's heart-breaking knowing that I can't give them that. That's the only gift they want this year."
Facing the immense financial burden of funeral costs and wanting to provide some magic for the children, Tracy has launched a GoFundMe appeal as a last resort. "Now I just want to make sure I can make it magical for them and give them a day to focus on something else," she stated, noting Ellie's love for Barbie and Alfie's for Lego.
"It has left me in such a difficult position. It was just me and my sister. Christmas this year will just be me and the kids," Tracy added. "Now I need to give her the send-off she deserves and one that the kids can be involved with."
