Imogen was an amazing child who had barely started her life at just 11 years old. Yet in that short time she had touched so many of us, making us laugh and cry so many times and the outpouring of love and support for her and her family has shown this.

Imogen had been a normal healthy child whom had just started at John Smeaton's in September 2017. She was making new friends, learning new things and loving the high school life with the new fun and freedom it had given her. She was a bit more tired than normal but it was thought to be due to the extra walking, running, riding her bike, study and fun she was having after all going to high school is a big change in all children's lives.

Imogen started to get pains in her legs, nothing much we all thought, growing pains a normal part of adolescence. The pain came and went and it was not always so bad she was still riding to school but even that was getting harder. Natalie, Imogene's Mother, decided to take her to the Doctor as the pains were getting worse and the periods with no pain fewer. Natalie took her to the Doctor and he agreed with the family, growing pains, normal almost every person suffers with them they just effect some of us more than others was all.

On the 28th November she was taken to hospital by her mother and step-father as she was in so much pain, she had been crying at school unable to do PE because it was so bad.

The LGI ran tests and kept her in over night to do more. The following day they had discovered she had some abnormalities in her blood, muscles and liver and began more tests and scans. The doctors told the family she had a deficiency and inflammation in her muscles, like arthritis, only in the muscle. Imogen was in hospital for a few days while they ran more tests before coming home for the weekend. The following week when she went back to the hospital for more tests they took a biopsy and put her on a high dose steroid drip to help her body fight.

The hospital told the family she had Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM) a rare childhood illness which affects the skin (dermato) and muscles (myositis) and frequently other parts of the body including joints, lungs, gut and blood vessels. JDM is a rare condition, affecting about 3 in a million children each year in the UK.

Imogen was in and out of hospital during the start of December receiving treatment and having tests.

She came home from hospital on Thursday 21st December with follow up appointments booked and a plan in place to help her beat this over the next few years. Imogen tried to enjoy her family Christmas as any child should but she was in pain and found it hard to enjoy this happy festive time with them all. On Christmas day she suffered a Cardiac arrest and her Step-father preformed CPR till the medical team arrived.

Imogen stopped breathing in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

She was pronounced as being brain dead on Boxing day the 26th December 2017 and passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends the following morning less than a month after being first admitted to hospital.

Princess Imogen

Natalie does not have the money it takes to provide her beloved daughter with a funeral, a mass, a coffin, a plaque or headstone. None of this is in anyway cheap and although some companies will provide the basic package for free it does not cover the cost of the burial or crematorium let alone all the other extras that just stack up in price. We have chosen an amount based on the basic costs but it may well end up costing much more than this so we ask you to be kind.

We want to give her daughter the goodbye she should have and so we are asking for all your help, your friends help, the help of you family and anyone we can touch with hearts to love and care.