Danielle Rose Bradley

Danielle Rose Bradley - 'Our Little Star'
30/06/96 - 25/06/05.
Danielle has an older sister 'Rachel-Marie' and an older brother 'Edward'. The family had recently moved to Banwell from Clevedon. Danielle attended Mary Elton School in Clevedon then Banwell Juniors.
Danielle died from complications, after being diagnosed with 'Wilsons Disease' (a rare condition affecting the liver).

Danielle was our Special Daughter, Sister, Grandaughter and Niece and Cousin, she met her new cousin 'Charlie', the day before she was admitted to hospital, he was only a day old. Without knowing that everything was about to change, she spent the weekend of Charlie's birth, doing a portrait with her Brother and Sister, welcoming Charlie into the world.

Danielle bought a smile to everyone that met her, she was bubbly, full of energy and live. Many of her friends remember her, for her love of everything and anything horsey! she was a talented rider and showed great courage and determination. She knew what she wanted to do and she did it! Her last pony 'Ferdie' remains with her, engraved onto her headstone to be with her forever.

Danielle became ill a few weeks before her admittance to hospital, suffering with nose bleeds, back pains - she slept continually and just wasn't 'Our Danielle'. She fell asleep in school and came home with the whites of her eyes - yellow, panic set in. After visiting the Doctor who took some blood for tests, she quickly became worse and was sent to Bristol Children's Hospital, and then transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital. Danielle had been diagnosed with \'Wilsons Disease' - the liver stops taking away the copper in her blood. Wilson's is heireditary, but both parents have to carry the gene for an offspring to develop it - the chances in that were 1 in 33,000. Sadly for Danielle the copper build up in her blood had affected her other organs as well.
Danielle deterioted very quickly, her brain was being affected and the ususally placid little girl became frustrated, angry...throwing things across the ward! She was scared, we were all scared, we just had to keep a brave face on for Danielle, we couldn't let her see us so upset and worried. We'd play pony games in our heads with Danielle to encourage her to take her medication, as some of it was horrible!

Within 12 hours she was put top priority for a liver transplant, we were warned it may take time which she didn't have.... she was taken down to intensive care to enable to rest her body and organs as much as possible before the operation. Within hours of being listed she was allocated a liver, but Danielle's heart began to have difficulties, so the operation had to be cancelled. The doctors managed to stabilise her heart and a few days later a second attempt was made to find her a liver , we didn't think we could be so fortunate again.... however, once again within hours of listing Danielle, another came available and the operation went ahead. At this point Danielle was on support for every organ in her body and there were concerns as to how they could get everything into theatre with her. They had a team of 17 surgeons to assist, and the operation took 6 hours - the longest 6 hours ever!!!
Within a week of the operation, things were looking better, they were beginning to take her off, of some of the medication. However, the day she was going to be taken off the ventilator, life went wrong for our Danielle, and she began bleeding internally, they couldn't establish where or what, but discovered that the new liver wasn't functioning properly. Our world fell apart... Danielle wasn'tt going to make it. Her Brother and Sister were driven up to Birmingham and Family and Friends came to say 'Goodbye' - it broke everyone's heart to see such a beautiful little girl being taken from us. Danielle died at half past five, surrounded by her family, those family and friends that couldn't be with us lit candles. We cannot thank Dr Baumann and his team enough, for everthing they did for Danielle and the support they gave us x x x

Danielle died from mulitple organ failure, resulting from 'Wilsons Disease'.
The funeral was held at St Andrews Church, in Clevedon. Danielle arrived in a glass carraige pulled by two white horses, it was the end of the fairy tale for Danielle. In Danielle's memory, the family bought her a star, in the constellation on 'Pegasus' and named it - 'Danielles Little Star', now she watches over us all.

We all miss you so much, and your memories will always live on. You'll always have a special place in everyones hearts.
Goodnight 'Our Little Star'.
Love you always

Mummy, Daddy, Rachel-Marie, Edward, Nanny, Nanny & Grandad, Uncle Andrew, Charlie, Uncle Kevin, Auntie Donna, Amy, Georgia, Auntie Carolyn, Uncle Phil. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx