A six-year-old girl has died just five days after her baby sister was born.
UK woman Emily Nixon's first daughter Darcy was born with VACTERL Association, a rare condition where a group of birth defects affect many body systems.
Despite enduring 20 operations over her short life and facing an upcoming heart surgery, Darcy was looking forward to meeting her soon-to-be little sister, Beatrice.
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"She was the most special person. Darcy was so kind and the memories I have are of her when she was thinking about other people," Nixon told the Daily Mail.
"We gave her some pocket money and told her she could spend it on anything she wanted, and she chose some little slippers for Bea."
When Beatrice was born two weeks premature, Darcy was overjoyed to spend time with her little sister.
"We always say that Bea came two weeks early, so she had the chance to meet her big sister," Nixon's partner Kristian D'Rosario told the Daily Mail.
Unfortunately, Darcy contracted an infection and died just five days later.
"She had become breathless and was struggling for air. She was essentially having a cardiac arrest," Nixon told the Daily Mail.
"I remember it clearly, I stepped back to let the medics work on her and she was very much aware of what was going on.
"I remember she said, 'Where's my mummy?' She wanted me to be in front of her. The moment she passed away she was looking right into my eyes, like she knew and didn't want to leave without seeing me."
After Darcy's death, the family spent five days with her in a temperature-controlled 'cold bedroom' at a children's hospice to say goodbye.
"We got to spend time with her and have photographs taken, including some of her and Bea to show her when she's older," Nixon told the Daily Mail.
"I speak about her all the time. There will never be a time when she is not spoken about to Bea. It's important that she knows all about her sister."
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