SHE NEVER WOKE UP
Mum’s heartbreak after ‘full of life’ daughter, 9, dies after complaining of headache and falling asleep on sofa with headache
A MUM was left devastated after her healthy and "full of life" nine-year-old daughter died after falling asleep on the sofa with a headache.
Jessica Woolhouse, from Walsall, West Mids, took a nap on the couch at home last month - but was later found unconscious by her grandma and could not be woken up.
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The youngster was rushed to hospital where it was discovered she had suffered a brain haemorrhage caused by an undiagnosed weak blood vessel in her brain.
Medics battled to save her with emergency surgery, but her family were forced to make the heartbreaking decision to switch off her life support machines the following day.
Mum Tracey Walerzak, 35, said: "Jessica's grandma found her on the sofa.
"She'd be sick and complaining of a horrendous headache.
"But we thought she'd just gone to sleep, that she was just poorly."
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Jessica was just nine years old when she suffered a brain haemorrhage
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Jessica, who had two brothers, Josh, aged 18, and Jake, aged 11, was described as "healthy and fun-loving" and her family said there were no warning signs of anything wrong.
Mum Tracey, a shop supervisor, paid tribute to her "best friend" during a pink and white-themed funeral held for Jessica.
She said: "Jessica was beautiful, and me and her dad were devoted to her.
"She was so happy and she loved telling me about her day at school, friends and her teachers.
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Jessica posing with a Lamborghini"She lived for the moment and she taught me that life is very precious.
"She was always friendly and she was loving. She was amazing and I am still so proud to have had such a wonderful daughter.
“I am proud to be her mother and will love her forever.”
Weak brain blood vessels affect just one in 1,000 people and which can burst at any time if you are coughing, sneezing or straining.
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Funeral attendees wore #TeamJess - the fundraising hashtag created by the family
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Tracey had thought her daughter was poorly and she was being cared for by her grandma Janet Walerzak, 61, on October 21.
Speaking of the days leading up to her death, Tracey’s partner Ian Taylor said: “We thought she was just sleeping.
“We could never have imagined what happened next.
“But we couldn’t rouse her after several attempts, and so called paramedics.
“Doctors told us she had a very slim chance of survival – even if she had been on the doorstep of the hospital and it happened, it would have been too late.
“She was full of life, singing and dancing. She was a lover of music, she always had her headphones on doing little selfie videos.
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“Then this happened – it’s absolutely tragic.
“Everybody loved Jess.”
A fundraising appeal set up in honour of Jessica has raised more than £1,000 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital .
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