Hundreds say farewell to tragic baby Ellie Mai
5:23pm Tuesday 14th October 2008 in Search Module By Jane Lavender
A floral tribute to Ellie Mai from her family. A poem read at the funeral said she was “an angel”
DEVASTATED father John O’Gorman could barely hold back the tears as he bravely carried his baby daughter’s tiny pink coffin to her funeral.
As the moving lyrics to Alicia Keys’ “No One” filled St Osmund’s Church, hundreds of mourners silently filed in for a service to mark the short life of two-month-old Ellie Mai, who lost her fight against meningitis last week.
Dozens of friends and family wore pink ties, shirts and clothes to pay their respects to the brave tot, who battled for more than a week against the disease.
Her 19-year-old father comforted Ellie Mai’s mother, and his girlfriend, Steph Gornall, aged 17, throughout the moving service at the church in Long Lane, Breightmet.
Ellie Mai’s family chose the hymn “All Things Bright And Beautiful”, which was followed by a poem about the youngster, which was read out, and written by, close family friend John Millington.
Mourners heard a tribute to Ellie Mai, which had been written by her parents, calling her a “blessing from God”.
Little Ellie Mai was a happy, healthy bouncing baby during her first seven weeks at home, but when she developed a high temperature her parents, who live in Breightmet, took her straight to their GP.
She was rushed to the Royal Bolton Hospital, where doctors diagnosed meningitis.
As her condition continued to deteriorate, Ellie Mai was transferred to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital in Pendlebury, where she battled the disease for the next seven days.
On October 6, her parents had to make the devastating decision to switch off her life-support machine.
They have courageously spoken out about their daughter’s tragic death to encourage other parents to remain vigilant to the symptoms of meningitis.
