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In a heartbreaking holiday turn of events that has stunned her global following, lifestyle influencer Melissa Mae Carlton has announced the death of her youngest daughter, Molly. The tragedy comes just 20 months after the family mourned the sudden loss of their nine-year-old daughter, Abigail.

In an emotional Instagram post shared late Friday, Carlton revealed that Molly passed away on Christmas morning, describing a scene of “trauma and heartbreak” that has left her family “exhausted and shaken.”

A Family Reunited in Grief

“On Christmas morning, our sweet Molly girl and her big sister Abi were reunited,” Carlton wrote to her 128,000 followers. “We are devastated. In disbelief. Confused and in shock.”

The grieving mother, who is known for her faith-based content and art business, shared that Molly had struggled deeply with the absence of her older sister. “Molly missed her sister so deeply,” Carlton reflected. “She would often ask me, ‘Mummy, when is Jesus coming back so Abi can come down?’”

Hours after the initial announcement, Carlton provided a medical update to clarify the circumstances of the sudden loss, revealing that doctors suspect a previously undiagnosed genetic heart condition.

The Search for Answers

While an official diagnosis is still pending, the medical team believes Molly suffered a sudden “cardiac event.” Carlton shared that while Abi’s death in April 2024 was attributed to sepsis, doctors now suspect that the same underlying heart condition may have played a role in both tragedies.

“We’ve been told that even a minor illness could potentially trigger a sudden cardiac event,” Carlton explained. She noted that unlike Abi, who died suddenly outside of a clinical setting, Molly was monitored in the hospital during her final hours, providing the family with medical insights they previously lacked.

“I never felt satisfied with the answers we got when Abi passed,” Carlton wrote. “But we’ve been told that this type of cardiac event is, in most cases, not survivable.”

A Legacy of Awareness

Melissa Mae Carlton and her husband, Tom, are also parents to two other children, Lily and Harry. In the wake of Molly’s passing, Carlton expressed a desire for her daughters’ stories to help other families navigating the complexities of Sudden Unexpected Death in Children (SUDC).

The influencer had previously used her platform to raise awareness about the signs of sepsis following Abi’s death. Now, as the family prepares for a second funeral in less than two years, she hopes to encourage genetic investigation for other families who have experienced similar, unexplained tragedies.

“I feel numb. I cannot yet accept that this is real,” Carlton shared in her final update. “Please hold our family in your prayers as we try to take this one very small step at a time.”