Shattered family members of a ‘perfectly healthy’ 13-year-old have issued heartbreaking tributes to the ‘kind, smart and beautiful girl’.
Crystal-Lee Wightley came down with a fever, body aches and coughing on Tuesday, with her condition worsening over the next 48 hours.
Her mother, Dymanty Fulham, quickly scheduled a doctor’s appointment early on Friday morning, but at at 6.15am, she found her daughter unconscious.
Paramedics soon arrived but she was sadly pronounced dead at their family home in Baxter, Victoria.
Crystal-Lee Wightley came down with a fever, body aches and coughing on Tuesday and was sent to bed to recover but three days later her condition had not improved. She soon feel into unconsciousness and sadly died in the family home
‘Crystal was kind, smart, beautiful and had come backs that would make a room stop and then laugh,’ her sister wrote.
She spoke candidly about Crystal’s final days.
‘On Monday I was sitting with her for the afternoon talking about baby names of her baby cousin she was getting ready to meet,’ the devastated sister said.
‘She was honest. She was caring and her heart was in the right place when to came to caring for the little people in her life.’
She said the entire family had been sick including her younger brothers and mother with Crystal the last one to catch the deadly virus.
Several family members paid tribute with Joshua Gartland, her uncle, remembering his niece that had ‘gone extremely too soon’
‘There was hope that she like everyone else was getting over the disgusting virus,’ she said.
‘We as a family will hold each other hands, cry, mourn, grieve and be together.’
She ended the tribute with a final and tragic message to her 13-year-old sibling that had passed too soon.
Family member Channi Gartland (left) wrote that ‘Crystal was kind, smart, beautiful’ person who could always make people laugh
‘Baby girl.. I love you. I miss you and I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you,’ she said.
Several others paid tribute with Joshua Gartland, her uncle, remembering his niece that had ‘gone extremely too soon’.
‘It’s with huge sadness and disbelief that my princess niece Crystal has passed away this morning,’ Mr Gartland said.
‘I miss you so much already moo. Your such a beautiful girl inside and out I love you so much and always will,’ he said.
Crystal-Lee’s aunt, Yvette Southgate, said the family was in denial over Crystal’s sudden death, as just three days earlier she was running around playing netball and football.
Her mother, Dymanty Fulham (pictured), was one of many in the family who came down with the flu but unlike the rest of the family Crystal sadly never recovered
‘We are all shattered, everyone is mourning. None of us thought we needed to go to the hospital, she was perfectly healthy and was giggling and laughing with her cousins days before,’ she said to the Herald Sun.
Crystal-Lee’s grandmother Karyn James Wightley took to Facebook to share her grief, saying she is heartbroken at the death of her first granddaughter.
‘Big Poppy and Big Nanny will be waiting to put their arms around you and keep you safe until we meet again. Missed and loved always I just cant stop crying beautiful girl,’ Mrs Wightley wrote.
‘I miss you so much already moo. Your such a beautiful girl inside and out I love you so much and always will,’ her uncle Joshua Gartland said
Another family member, Pam John Gartland, posted simply: ‘This life sucks, r.i.p. Missy Moo’.
It comes as the South Australian government announced a campaign to educated people on the dangers of the flu and how people can protect themselves.
Australia recently reached a death toll of 228 this flu season with 120,000 officially confirmed cases of the virus.
SA Health Minister Stephen Wade said the new campaign was a timely reminder for everyone to look after themselves and each other this winter and that everyone had a responsibility to stop the spread of the flu.
her death comes as the South Australian government announced a campaign to educated people on the dangers of the flu and how people can protect themselves
‘The flu virus is spread by human contact and can live up to 48 hours on hard, smooth surfaces such as door handles, playground equipment and desktops,’ Mr Wade said.
SA’s acting Chief Medical Officer Nicola Spurrier said it was important for children to stay away from school and for adults to stay home as much as possible if suffering from flu or flu-like symptoms.
‘The flu can be fatal – even to a fit and healthy person,’ he said.
‘That’s why it’s so important to protect yourself and those around you from becoming sick too.’
The new awareness campaign will run from July 7 to September 21 across TV and radio as well as social media platforms.