A bubbly, happy seven-year-old girl has tragically passed away just hours after she was struck down with pneumonia on a family holiday on Sunday.
Summer Griffiths was lethargic and running a temperature in the morning, so her parents took her to hospital – but by the afternoon an aggressive form of pneumonia had taken her young life.
Her mother Ashleigh Griffiths and stepfather Shane now face the heartbreaking task of bringing her body home to St Kilda, Melbourne, from their holiday spot in Perth.
Summer Griffiths, 7 , died just hours she was struck down with pneumonia while on holidays
Summer has been described as ‘happiest child you could ever imagine’ by family and friends
Family friend Rachel Kenny said that staff at Princess Margaret Hospital battled hard to save the little girl as her condition rapidly deteriorated.
‘[Ms Griffiths] said they were marvellous but it just happened so quickly and nothing could be done,’ she told 9NEWS.
Ms Kenny said everyone who knew the ‘happiest child you could ever imagine’ were shocked and numb by Summer’s sudden death.
‘She was never upset or down. And as soon as she would get up in the morning that was it. She was this bubbly personality, bouncing off the walls,’ she said. ‘She was a great kid, always caring about other people as well.’
The little girl will be dearly missed by all of her friends at Windsor Primary School in Victoria
Summer was a popular first grade student at Windsor Primary School, and Ms Kenny said other mothers banded together to help the family out with food and support.
‘There are going to be a lot of children coming to terms with what has happened.
‘That this happy bubbly person that is always at school all of a sudden is not there anymore,’ she said.
Ms Kenny also set up a fundraising page to help raise money to Summer’s body home and cover funeral costs, which has already raised more than $19,050.
‘I know how much this sort of thing costs and I didn’t want Ashleigh and Shane, her father, to have to think about this right now,’ she said of the GoFundMe page, which was raised more than $8000 over its initial target.
Summer (centre) was on holiday in Perth with her stepfather Shane (left) and mother Ashleigh
Summer’s mother Ashleigh and stepfather Shane must now bring her body home for burial
Ms Kenny also posted a sweet tribute to the girl on her Facebook page, saying that the death had hit her and hr three children hard.
‘Summer I have watched you grow into the most amazing and loving girl I know,’ she wrote.
‘I promise you, my sweet little angel, I will be right by your Mummy’s side to help her in this hard time. I love you so much Summer. Fly high, sweet angel.’