In October 2024, our beautiful Mia suddenly passed away at just 17 years old, with no medical explanation.

Mia was a healthy, happy girl who had just moved home with her loving mum and devoted stepdad. She was excited about life and growing into a wonderful young woman with her whole future ahead of her.

Like any 17-year-old, Mia had big dreams. She talked about the wedding she hoped to have one day, the places she wanted to travel, the goals she wanted to achieve, and even the names she would give her future children.

She had her whole life ahead of her.

But Mia’s story didn’t have the future she deserved.

One moment, on one normal evening at home, she was laughing, smiling, and living life as normal.

The next, she collapsed and needed CPR. In a single moment, everything changed forever.

Her parents desperately performed CPR for 27 minutes until the emergency services arrived and took over. Despite everyone’s efforts and the incredible care from the hospital, Mia heartbreakingly passed away.

There was no warning. No illness. No explanation.

One minute our beautiful girl was here, and the next she was gone.

The pain of losing Mia is impossible to put into words. The hole she has left in the lives of her family and friends can never be filled. But what we do know is that we want Mia’s memory to live on — for her smile, her kindness, and her beautiful spirit to never be forgotten.

Mia’s death was a Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC).

Many people have heard of SIDS in babies, but very few realise that unexplained deaths can also happen to older children. SUDC is the sudden and unexplained death of a child aged between 1 and 18 years that remains unexplained even after investigation.

In the UK, around 40 children die from SUDC every year — roughly one to two seemingly healthy children every fortnight, often going to sleep and never waking up.

SUDC UK works to raise awareness, support grieving families, and fund vital research into these tragic losses.

To honour Mia’s life, her lifelong friend Libby has organised a thoughtful walk. We will all be walking 17 kilometres- one for each precious year Mia lived, around York, the city where Mia was born and spent most of her life. Along the route we will visit 17 meaningful places and sharing stories about Mia during her short but beautiful life.

We will be embarking on this journey on Tuesday 26th May 2026.

The walk will take place on a Tuesday — because thats a day that holds deep meaning for Mia’s family. Mia was born on a Tuesday, she tragically passed away on a Tuesday, and we said our final goodbyes to her on a Tuesday.

Through this walk we hope to raise both awareness and funds for SUDC UK, so they can continue supporting families like ours and help fund research that may one day prevent another family from experiencing this unbearable loss.

This tragedy can happen to anyone, anywhere, without warning.

If you are able to donate, no matter how small, it would mean the world to us. Your support will help keep Mia’s memory alive while helping other families who may one day face the same unimaginable pain we feel. To have no explanation or cause of death makes grief even more brutal and harder to process.

Thank you for taking the time to read Mia’s story and for helping us honour her beautiful life.

We will be sharing the route nearer the time, so if you have a story, memory or even wish to cheer us on, please let us know!