We thought our daughter, 12, had an ear infection but she died weeks later

HEARTBROKEN parents have told how their little girl died after they thought she had a simple ear infection.

Leah Robshaw, 12, had a suspected brain abscess, which went undetected for weeks.

The youngster, from South Moor in Stanley, County Durham, died on Sunday in hospital.

She had been diagnosed twice with an ear infection, after complaining of pain about a week before Christmas.

Her mum Claire Robshaw said: “Leah was a much loved 12-year-old girl who was loved by many people, she was such a happy, polite little girl who adored her two sisters and five brothers.

“We are all just heartbroken and feel empty without her.”

The schoolgirl had been given antibiotics for a suspected ear infection, but felt worse and started to complain of a headache.

On New Year's Day the family was told it was an ear and throat infection, with vertigo.

But as she continued to feel unwell, Leah was rushed to hospital by ambulance for a scan, before being transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle.

Claire said: “She’d got worse, she was sleeping all the time, had no energy, couldn’t walk, talk and couldn’t feed herself. Her brother had to carry her down the stairs on the 12th for the paramedic.

“At Durham they put her to sleep and rushed her to the RVI, she went for another scan and that’s when they said she had an abscess on the brain.”

Leah had three operations to try and tackle the problem, but Claire was told she had also had a stroke and the infection was taking over her body.

The little girl was put on life-support before the heartbroken family decided to let her die peacefully.

Claire said Leah’s brothers Liam, Jordan, Ryan, Josh and Reece all adored her and little sisters Amelia, six, and Latisha, three, looked up to their sister as a role model.

'HEARTBROKEN'

Leah, a year eight pupil at North Durham Academy in Stanley, was a big fan of TikTok and loved going to the park with her family.

Family friends Dionne and Lisa Railton have started an online fundraising campaign to help pay for a funeral.

Dionne said: “She always had a smile on her face, she was such a kind-hearted and loving girl. This is just unbearable.

“To try to take away some of the stress for the family we are coming together as a community to help pay for extras for the funeral, hopefully a horse and carriage and flowers, so it is a day fit for a princess.”

Claire added: “It is really kind of people to help us, it shows how loved she really was.”

Leah’s grandmother, Janet Middleton, who lives with Claire and the children, said: “She was like a daughter to me too, we love what everyone is doing to support us.”