A heartbroken mum has paid tribute to her "beautiful" two-year-old daughter after she sadly lost her life.
Little Jasmine Blackburn had been diagnosed with severe brain disorders and suffered thousands of seizures. Her mum Sharron Bonehill raised concern about daughter's health following her birth. She noticed that she was blinking rapidly, lip smacking and going blue around the lips.
The 41-year-old, who lives in Hebburn, South Tyneside, was told that Jasmine had a condition called Polymicrogyria, which caused too many folds in the brain. It affected both sides of her brain and caused her to have seizures.
At three-months-old, Sharron found out that Jasmine also had Aicardi Syndrome. The rare genetic condition causes structural brain and eye abnormalities as well as seizure activity. It can also lead to respiratory illness.
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Earlier this month, Jasmine fell ill and was rushed to Sunderland Royal Hospital. Sharron was told by medics that her daughter's lungs were no longer working and she was now at the end of her life.
She made the devastating decision to remove the Airvo machine which was helping Jasmine to breathe and she passed away at the hospital in Sunderland surrounded by loved ones on Wednesday, June 8.
Mum-of-seven Sharron said: "I was given an angel and I looked after that angel until she went to heaven and gained her wings. Now I'm left with the loss and this gap that's unfillable. She was extremely beautiful, I have always been so proud of her. I will never ever stop bragging about her.
"She was an absolute pleasure. She was such an easy-going baby. She never really cried, she was placid and everyone that met her said 'she's just gorgeous isn't she'. Before I had Jasmine I was not the person I am now, she's made me who I am."
Sharron gave birth to Jasmine by caesarean section on February 10, 2020. Following her birth, she raised her concerns with doctors after noticing the symptoms, which are signs of seizures in babies. Sharron said that doctors diagnosed Jasmine with Aicardi syndrome after identifying abnormalities behind her eyes.
She said: "It was horrible when I first found out about her condition. I thought my baby isn't going to do this or that and then later on it didn't matter to me at all. I couldn't care less what she could or couldn't do. She could speak to me without saying a word. She was like my soulmate, she was just incredible.
"Jasmine did have the most severe form of Aicardi. She did have movement and drank bottles but, with the seizures, she had that taken away. They made her brain more damaged so she wasn't able to do that. She lost the ability to do everything. She couldn't move her arms or her legs and she wasn't able to control her head at all. She was like a big version of a new born baby."
Sharron said she would always make sure that Jasmine was comfortable and would surround her with soft toys. She would read Jasmine her favourite book - Unicorn and the Rainbow Poop - and play her music. She said: "Jasmine loved you to touch her face, she loved interaction. She loved the vibration of music. She used to like being comfortable with squashy teddies. I would put them in between her legs and her arms. It was all about comfort for me."
During her short life, Jasmine was treated by dedicated professionals at Sunderland Royal Hospital and the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle. When she was around 10 weeks old, Jasmine was suffering from thousands of seizures a day. Sharron said: "It was just all through the night and all through the day. I was told she could die at any time because of the seizures."
On the weekend of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, Jasmine became poorly and was rushed to hospital. Doctors told Sharron that both of her lungs had collapsed and she was no longer able to breath by herself. She said: "I could see for myself that she was giving up."
When it was time to let her go, Jasmine was surrounded by her mum Sharron, her big sister Charlotte, Charlotte's boyfriend Jordan and her godmothers Sharni Higgins, Angie Comerford, Ashleigh Prior and Casey Cram. Ashleigh's fiancé Yanki Gonzalez, Casey's girlfriend Crystal Garrett and hospital chaplain Rebecca were also there to show their support.
Sharron said: "On the Wednesday night I had everyone around me and I knew what I needed to do. It took the strength of everyone in the room for me to do that, I don't think I could have done it without them. The nurses said they felt the love."
Sharron hopes that caring for Jasmine will enable her to start a career helping other disabled children. She added: "I saw the beauty in Jasmine, the beauty shone through. It wasn't about her disability, it was about this beautiful little soul that I was connected with and that doesn't leave you. There are other children out there that don't have that love and it breaks my heart."
Donations are being made on Go Fund Me towards Jasmine's funeral.
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