I got a purple heart necklace for my daughter, Kelsie. She sadly lost her life at only 8 years old due to a rare reaction to a cold, where the virus attacked her heart.
Kelsie had such a huge impact on my life. She was the most determined, smart, and beautiful girl, the happiest person I’ve ever met. She taught me patience and was my strength.
As my middle child, she lived up to it — stubborn and mischievous, but so funny with it that I’d struggle to keep a straight face when telling her off.
The thing I’ve noticed most in these last 6 months without her is her smile and laugh. She had the kind of smile that instantly made you smile back, and her crackly laugh would have you giggling along, even when you weren’t meant to because she was being cheeky.
- Sharlie Taylor