Worthing family's warning after daughter's chickenpox death

A HEARTBROKEN couple are warning other parents about the dangers of chickenpox after their beautiful daughter died from rare complications.

Serenity-Chi Bobby Lee Holliday was just 18 months old when she contracted chickenpox at the end of December 2007.

But little Serenity-Chi's heart was affected by the normally mild virus and her devastated parents, Gareth Holliday and Charlotte Hanratty, found her dead in her bed at their home in Warnham Close, Goring, on New Year's Day.

Rare risk

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Gareth, 31, and Charlotte, 26, who now live in Limbrick Lane, Maybridge, are urging parents to be aware of the possible, rare risks of chickenpox.

Speaking after an inquest held into their little girl's death they said: "These were really rare complications, but we want to make other parents aware of what can happen.

"Nobody really thinks this can happen with chickenpox and we have even heard of chickenpox parties where parents take their children so they can catch it.

"There is a chickenpox vaccination and this is meant to be coming to England but we have heard this will form part of the MMR jab and we are worried people won't bother to have their children immunised because they are worried about the possible side-effects."

Sisters recovered

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Serenity-Chi caught chickenpox at the same time as her three other sisters, aged four, three and six months, but they recovered.

And at the inquest held at Worthing Town Hall on Friday, March 20, West Sussex coroner Penelope Schofield recorded the verdict Serenity-Chi had died of natural causes.

The inquest heard, just over a week before she caught chicken pox, Serenity-Chi developed a slight cold.

On December 30, her spots came out.

Breathing stopped

On New Year's Eve, she was put to bed and checked throughout the night and seemed fine.

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On New Year's Day, she was allowed to sleep in, but when her dad went to check on her he tragically discovered she had stopped breathing.

Her frantic parents telephoned for an ambulance, but it was too late.

A post mortem examination was carried out and the cause of death was chickenpox, the damage caused to her heart because of the virus and vocal chord inflammation.

Rare complication

According to Ms Schofield, only 0.03 per cent per 1,000 people who contract chickenpox will develop rare complications.

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Paying tribute to their daughter after the inquest, Gareth and Charlotte said: "Serenity-Chi was a lovely little girl who lived up to her name. She was always happy.

"She will always have a special place in our hearts. We used to call her the 'Tesco kid' as she loved going to the supermarket with her dad.

"She was loved and will be missed by everyone who knew her."

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