Mum's heartbreaking tribute to 'ray of sunshine' girl, 13, after tragic sudden death

A heartbroken mum has paid tribute to her 13-year-old daughter following her sudden death, stating she was a “little ray of sunshine and my absolute world”.

Alison Ward said her daughter Robyn Lott, who was a pupil at Accrington Academy, was an animal lover and was“always smiling and happy”. A fundraiser has been set up to help to help the family to cover the funeral costs with people attending asked to wear ears and tails if they wanted as these accessories were liked by Robyn. Mourners were also told to wear casual clothing for the funeral of Robyn who loved fashion.

Alison said: “She was an angel. Her smile lit up the room and she was always smiling and happy – she had this brightness inside her as she was one of those bright, happy people.

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“She was also very quirky and didn’t ‘follow the crowd’. She was her own person and she owned that. She was a little ray of sunshine and my absolute world. We would often blast music, dance around the kitchen and sing at the top of our voices – my phone is full of selfies of us doing silly, funny things.

“Robyn loved animals. We have a lot of pets and she has always been close to them. She loved fashion and she used to dress up and accessorise when she was little – she was so creative and loved drawing. She had her own style and was so unique – she wasn’t one to follow the crowd or any particular trends."

Alison also told how she had been comforted by messages from people who knew Robyn and accounts of how her daughter was "kind and sensitive".

She said: “I have had so many people telling me how sweet and kind she was. I’ve been told she has been the one to help classmates who were struggling and she was that kind of person – so kind and sensitive.

"She always wanted to help make other people feel better. The stories make me so proud of her – so many people loved her so much. I would do anything to have her back. She was beautiful inside and out.”

A funeral notice said that people are welcome to give new teddy bears which will be donated to charity. It added: "Robyn's Family have asked for people attending to wear casual clothing, with her favourite colour being purple.

"For people who would like to support Robyn's style, ears and tails are also welcome. Family, friends, school and social all welcome to pay their last respects at the Funeral."

And a GoFundMe page reads: "There are no words to describe the pain of losing a child and as Robyn’s mum, dad and brother navigate this impossible situation, we’d like to support them in any way we can. Any donations will help ease the financial burden of funeral and memorial expenses."