Downham girl (6) dies after heart op
A TOWN will unite in grief tomorrow when it celebrates the life of a remarkable six-year-old who died from heart problems last Saturday.
Hannah Gray collapsed and died just yards from her home in Elizabeth Avenue, Downham, just eight weeks after heart surgery at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital.
The third child of Justin and Rachel Gray was born with only three chambers in her heart instead of four, and underwent major surgery at 16-weeks-old and at 17 months.
She had made a fantastic recovery since her last operation, and in those last eight weeks she lived life to the full. She celebrated the birth of a sister, Freya, who was born four weeks early, and was preparing to celebrate Christmas with her family.
The Rev Andrew Sankey, who is conducting a special funeral service at Downham Methodist Church tomorrow, said: "In her final week she was appreciating her family and friends, almost as if she knew she didn't have long left on earth."
The service will be held at 2pm and Clackclose Primary School, where Hannah was a much-loved pupil, will be closed for the afternoon as a mark of respect.
The school is also holding its own special remembrance service at the church next Wednesday.
Hannah, who was nominated for a Lynn News Superkid award by her grandmother Sandra Armsby in 2003, had been an active member of the junior church at Downham from the age of three and had touched the hearts of the whole congregation.
Rev Sankey said at the time of her last operation many prayers had been said for her.
"We had all known that her life was in the balance as she went for that operation, and we were half prepared for her death, so when she made such a remarkable recovery we were overjoyed.
"In her life she touched the hearts of many people, and in her death many more are being touched. Although at the service there will be a real sense of loss and no doubt many tears, there will be a real celebration of her life as she would have wanted.
"She had a certainty that Jesus loved her, carrying a piece of paper with her that said just that, so we can be confident that she lives on with Jesus in heaven."
Some of the music to be played at the service had been specifically chosen by Hannah, and her sister Lucie will sing. Her headteacher Ronnie Koon and the Methodist church schools worker Sally Coleman will also speak and Hannah's grandfather will read a poem.
An inquest into her death was opened by Greater Norfolk coroner William Armstrong in Norwich on Thursday and adjourned until a date to be fixed.
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Weather for King's Lynn
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 25 C
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Wind direction: East
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Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
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