Family desperate for answers after five-year-old girl dies suddenly

A devastated family are desperate for answers after their ‘amazing’ five-year-old girl died suddenly after catching what they thought was just a tummy bug. 

Isabella Grace Docherty, known as Bella, 5, passed away suddenly only hours after falling ill and collapsing in her home in Newarthill, North Lanarkshire.

The five-year-old’s mother, Pamela Little, explained that the family believed ‘it was nothing majorly concerning’ and that Bella was feeling unwell from a vomiting bug. 

Pamela mentioned how the spirited young girl was still asking for food and was even ‘bossing’ her family around. 

However, at around 4am after Bella’s father Brian took her downstairs after she was struggling to sleep in her bed, she threw up suddenly and collapsed on the floor. 

The 38-year-old mother told the : ‘Brian screamed at me to come down me.When I came in he was holding her in his arms. I brushed her hair away from her face and my instincts told me she was gone.

‘We phoned for an ambulance and did CPR, a neighbour came to help until paramedics came and after that, it’s just a nightmare.

‘I just remember seeing her face and realising something bad had happened.

Bella passed away on Monday, February 13 at Wishaw General Hospital despite the paramedic’s best efforts to save her life. 

The previous year doctors had discovered a non-life-threatening abnormality on Bella’s brain stem following an MRI scan.

But Brian and Pamela were told this was not believed to have been connected with their daughter’s death. 

Pamela added: ‘She has some issues with her brain, but nothing that we were told to be worried about. 

‘Doctors said it could have been something she was born with.

‘They didn’t know exactly what it was and now they may never find out.She was due to go into the hospital last week as an in-patient for some testing but unfortunately, suddenly, she’s gone.’

Bella’s post-mortem results came back as inconclusive and the family are continuing to wait for the results of further tests. 

Pamela, who is also mother to Ellie, 13, and Leon, 15, said ‘it’s killing (them) inside’ not having the answers and the family’s world has been turned upside down following Bella’s death.

Describing her youngest child, she said: ‘We are absolutely broken. Bella was our funny, caring little diva and now we just want the world to know how amazing she was.’

A fundraising page has been set up to help pay for Bella’s funeral.

Organiser Stacey Banks wrote: ‘With permission from the family, I have set this page up for anyone who wishes to help the family at this devastating time.

‘In the early hours of Tuesday morning, Brian and Pamela’s precious princess Isabella was sadly taken from them suddenly at just 5 years old.

‘The unbearable pain and suffering the family are going through at the moment is unimaginable.

‘Any donations towards our beautiful Bella’s celebration of life would be greatly appreciated.’

To donate click here: