A British girl who died from mumps complications while on holiday in Spain drew her last breath in front of her distraught family.
Molly Bower, 17, from Durham, fell ill when she was on holiday in Majorca and died away as a result of complications from the infection on Friday.
The teen complained of a swollen face soon after she arrived on holiday with her aunt and uncle and within less than 24 hours of seeing a hotel doctor, she was dead.
Her aunt has recalled the moment her eyes rolled back and she suddenly stopped breathing.
Dominique Bower told the Daily Mail Molly had become delirious and wasn't eating on Thursday night.
She had complained of an aching body and said she couldn't hear what people was saying, and at first thought she had an abscess.
The resort doctor at Club Mac Alcudia where the family were staying immediately diagnosed Molly with Mumps, her aunt said.
Molly had been vaccinated against mumps as a child, her family said.
However doctors fear the decline in families opting to get their kids the childhood jab MMR that wards off measles, mumps and rubella could lead to increased death rates among youngsters.
The doctor prescribed ibuprofen and paracetamol, Miss Bower said.
"Within a few seconds of taking it, Molly drifted off to sleep. We later tried to wake her for a shower, we couldn’t get her to walk, it was like carrying a dead weight. I left the room for five minutes afterwards to get her more clothes and the next thing I knew I heard screaming [from a family friend].
"Molly’s eyes had rolled into the back of her head and she had stopped breathing.’"
Doctors reportedly tried to save the teen for two hours before she was moved to hospital, where she later died from complications arising from mumps.
Now her family is desperately trying to get her body home.
Molly's grieving loved ones are fundraising in an effort to get her body repatriated to the UK in an effort that has raised nearly £10,000 so far.
Her aunt wrote on the page: "To bring our baby girl home it’s going to cost us £5,000. I’m asking for a small donation or anything that you can to do help. Please, please, please get my beautiful baby home.”
Mumps is a contagious infection which spreads through drops of infected saliva being inhaled of picked up off surfaces.
The infection can lead to viral meningitis and other complications, the NHS says.
Donations can be made here.
