A terminally ill baby from Dundee has died with her family at her bedside.
Willow Heggie was only seven months old when she died on Tuesday afternoon and had spent most of her short life in hospital.
The tot had a rare illness which prevented her brain from sending the signals needed to breathe properly.
After catching an infection Willow was admitted to the high dependency baby unit at Ninewells Hospital, where she died.
Heartbroken mum Nicola Duncan said: “We are devastated.
“We were all with Willow when she passed away.
“At the end she looked beautiful and very peaceful which helped us all so much.
“That’s how we will be able to remember her.”
As well as Nicola, Willow’s dad, Peter Heggie and her siblings, Lewis, Reece, Bryan and Isla were all at her bedside when she died, as well as her grandparents.
‘Little fighter’
Nicola said: “Willow was such a little fighter.
“I am so proud of her.
“Now we can lay her to rest and she will be at peace.”
Born in November, Willow spent all but a week and a half of her short life in hospital.
She was completely blind and her parents were told if she survived she would never be able to walk.
The family’s greatest wish was to bring her home and a fundraiser was launched for the required renovations to their Linlathen home.
It raised £5,000 in a week but Willow never made it home.
Grandfather Phillip Lynch said the family were contacted by the hospital on Monday to say Willow was very poorly.
He said: “We went up to the hospital to be with her.
“The doctors removed all the equipment Willow was on and we all stayed with her and waited.
“However, she was such a little fighter and she hung on in there, she wasn’t ready to go just yet.”
Phillip said the family were all able to say their goodbyes before Willow slipped peacefully away at 3.55pm on Tuesday.
He said: “There were a few times we thought she had gone but she kept coming back to us.
“She was so beautiful and I’m sure she was giving us wee smiles.”
Wonderful doctors
Nicola said she wanted to thank all the staff at the high dependency unit but especially two consultants who played a big part in Willow’s care – Kathleen Brown and Nick McConnel.
“They were absolutely incredible and so caring,” Nicola said.
“Kathleen even came in on her day off and sat with Willow for hours.
“That meant so much to all of us.”
Willow’s funeral will be held at St Ninian’s Church next Thursday, followed by a burial at Pitkerro Grove Cemetery.
Money leftover from the fundraiser will be donated to the high dependency unit.
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