A “COURAGEOUS” girl who suffered from a rare genetic disease was playing normally only minutes before she collapsed at school, an inquest heard.

Madison Shaw, aged eight, was pretending to sell ice cream to her friend at Bowness Primary School on July 2 last year when she began to feel unwell, Bolton Coroner’s Court was told.

She had earlier enjoyed her favourite “wake and shake” song in assembly, before taking an art lesson.

The inquest was told that, as soon as she told teachers she was feeling unwell, they took Madison inside to her therapy room.

Specially trained classroom assistants tried to help, but, while they were hoisting Madison out of her wheelchair, she cried “Miss, I can’t breathe”.

The inquest heard that she suffered a “sudden respiratory collapse”.

Once paramedics arrived, the coroner was told that Madison appeared to be responding to treatment, and gave her carers a big smile before being put in the ambulance.

She was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital, but doctors were unable to save her.

Madison, of Rufford Drive, Great Lever, was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy when she was 14- months-old.

The genetic nervous disease causes muscular weakness and made Madison particularly susceptible to chest infections and respiratory problems.

Dr Gori Bhatra, pathologist, told the inquest that this difficulty led to her sudden collapse and death from “acute mechanical airway obstruction”.

Madison’s mother, Donna Shaw, said: “I just want to thank everyone at the school — I know they did everything they could to help her.”

Recording a verdict of death from natural causes, deputy coroner Alan Walsh assured Mrs Shaw that she did not suffer and nothing more could have been done to prolong her life.

He said: “I’ve heard evidence today of a wonderful little girl.

“She was energetic within the confines of her restrictions, she was intelligent, outgoing and confident, and she was a little mischievous.

“It was extremely courageous of her at times to think of others who she thought were more affected than herself.

“She was a credit to herself, a credit to her family and a credit to those who looked after her.”

After the inquest, Mrs Shaw said: “I’m so glad that she didn’t suffer — that’s the most important thing.

“And it’s nice to know that she was smiling and she was selling ice creams. I didn’t know about that before.”

Madison captured the hearts of the people of Bolton when her parents launched an appeal to buy her a pink wheelchair.

Mrs Shaw and Madison’s school have held a number of memorial events, including a pink-themed party, to celebrate her life.