A FAMILY has been left “utterly devastated” after a “healthy, fit and fun-loving” 15-year-old girl collapsed and died just hours after complaining of a migraine.
Harriet Dixon passed away on Friday after suddenly collapsing at her home in Bury, Greater Manchester, after she woke saying she had been suffering from migraine pain that morning.
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Her heartbroken parents, Eddie and Lisa Dixon, bravely battled to revive their youngest child before paramedics took over.
The schoolgirl was rushed to North Manchester General Hospital but medics were tragically unable to save her.
According to her parents, doctors have told them Harriet had tested positive for coronavirus – but the family now face an agonising wait until the post-mortem is complete to determine how she died.
Mr Dixon said: “We are just shell-shocked and utterly devastated that
our funny, beautiful daughter is not with us anymore.
“Harriet woke up at 6.30am on Friday, saying she had a bad headache –
but passed away later that day.
“We know she suffered a cardiac arrest, but we do not know what caused it. When a building collapses and people are missing – that’s a reason.
“If there’s an accident on a road, or a big car crash – there’s a
reason. But at the moment we just keep asking ourselves: ‘Why?’”
“THERE’S AN EMPTY SEAT AT THE TABLE”
The grief-stricken father explained how Harriet had returned home from school as usual the previous evening.
“When she woke up the next day with a headache, we thought it was one of her migraines because it had happened before,” Mr Dixon explained.
“My wife and I checked on her, urged her to lie down and she had a
sleep at lunchtime.
“But when she woke up around 2pm, she said she was in pain, that this
was different.
“I thought of Covid straight away, so we did a test each, but both
came back negative. Hattie did another one, but that was negative
too.”
After becoming concerned for his daughter, he called 111, who immediately dispatched an ambulance upon hearing Harriet’s symptoms.
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The 15-year-old tragically died a short time later despite her parents efforts.
Her older siblings, Anna, 21, and Max, 19, have been rocked by the sudden loss of their “beautiful” sister.
Mr Dixon said: “Words cannot express how we feel – Lisa is absolutely distraught. We were a family of five – we’re now a family of four – and there’s an empty seat at the table.”
The pupil at St Gabriel’s Roman Catholic School was “full of fun and very popular,” her father said.
“She was a good sportswoman and had ambitions to be a primary school teacher.
“Hattie absolutely adored children – she was never happier than if she
was playing with kids or rushing round to friends’ houses when a new
baby had arrived – and they loved her too,” Mr Dixon added.
“When she went out, she looked beautiful. She liked the camera and we have laughed and cried and laughed again when another photo of her crops up on people’s phones.
“We cannot believe she is no longer with us.”
A funeral will be held at Guardian Angels RC Church in Bury, but numbers will be limited due to Covid.
Mr Dixon said: “We will have bereavement counselling, but I know we
have some very tough years ahead.
“The only way we will get through this is by loving each other,
keeping up with Hattie’s friends, and by remembering our beautiful
daughter and the light and laughter she brought into our lives.”
