THE parents of a battling four-year-old who fought all her life against a rare heart condition have asked everyone to take part in a party to “celebrate her indelible, everlasting imprint on the world”.
Rose O’Leary-Hall lost her battle on September 4 against the terminal heart defect Interrupted Aortic Arch which she was born with.
This Saturday, a memorial service will be held for Rose in Pool-in-Wharfedale, and her parents Sue and Katie O’Leary-Hall want everyone to be involved.
They are asking for everyone to play Rose’s favourite song - This Time For Africa by Shakira - at 2pm to celebrate the little girl’s amazing life.
Sue said: “I do not have enough words to even begin to describe the agony of losing our beautiful little girl.
“What I will say is this: Rose loved a party. Rose loved a swishy dress. She love pretty patterns. She loved dungarees and pockets and buttons and sparkly hair clips and rainbows trainers and pink suede boots and painted nails.
“And she loved dancing to her favourite song -This Time For Africa by Shakira.
“So wherever your are at 2pm on Saturday, if you’d like to help us celebrate our spectacular Rose, put on something that makes you feel fantastic, play This Time For Africa, and dance your heart out. Rose will be dancing with us all.”
Rose had just undergone a gruelling surgical procedure to repair her heart which her parents and the thousands of supporters who had willed the little girl along on social media under the hashtag #TeamRose thought was going to change her life.
But though Rose fought as hard as she could following surgery in August, her little heart was too damaged from her condition to allow the operation to fully succeed.
Sue said: “She was just a powerhouse throughout everything that was thrown at her. She overcame incredible adversity ever since her very first surgery, and came back and fought harder every single time.
“We can’t believe she’s not here. She was so full of life. She filled every space she was in with her energy. We are just devastated.”
Sue, 47, works at Leeds University and also runs her own education training company and Katie, 39, is head of English at Ermysted’s Grammar School in Skipton. They have a son together, Will, who is eight.
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