In April 2024, the influencer and her husband, Tom Carlton, shared that their daughter Abigail \u201cunexpectedly passed over to the other side<\/a>\u201d after battling sepsis at 9 years old.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are no words to express how heartbroken and devastated we are,\u201d Melissa wrote on Instagram at the time. \u201cI wasn\u2019t sure when or how much I would share this on here, but I feel moved to this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are feeling the worst pain we have ever felt in our lives, but somehow profound peace at the same time,\u201d she continued alongside several photos of her daughter and their family. \u201cWe feel so much peace about where she is, but she will leave a huge void in ours and so many others’ lives. She was the sweetest most loving, generous, funny girl and we feel so grateful that Heavenly Father chose us to raise, teach and protect her until it was time to call her back to him. We will miss her so much here.\u201d<\/p>\n Melissa didn’t share the cause of Abigail’s death at the time.<\/p>\n Melissa Mae Carlton\/Instagram<\/p>\n Melissa Mae Carlton and her husband, Tom Carlton, embrace their daughter Molly in a hospital bed<\/p>\n Just over a year later, Melissa shared the tragic news that the couple’s younger daughter, Molly, died on Thursday, Dec. 25.<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOn Christmas morning, our sweet Molly girl and her big sister Abi were reunited,\u201d Melissa wrote on Instagram alongside a photo<\/a> of herself and her husband embracing Molly in a hospital bed, as well as several other family photos. \u201cThis is the only thing giving me even a small sense of comfort. Molly missed her sister so deeply. She would often ask me, \u2018Mummy, when is Jesus coming back so Abi can come down?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are devastated. In disbelief. Confused and in shock,\u201d she added. \u201cWe are exhausted and shaken after a day filled with trauma and heartbreak. I feel numb. I cannot yet accept that this is real. I am not ready for this pain.\u201d<\/p>\n Hours later, Melissa, who also shares kids Harry and Lily with her husband, posted another update<\/a> amid \u201cspeculation\u201d surrounding Molly’s sudden death.<\/p>\n \u201cI hesitate to share a medical update already because we still don\u2019t have an official diagnosis. But I do feel it\u2019s important to let people know that we have some answers this time,\u201d\u00a0she wrote on Instagram. \u201cThe doctors believe Molly had a genetic heart condition and suspect this may have been the case with Abi as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Melissa Mae Carlton\/Instagram<\/p>\n Melissa Mae Carlton’s daughter Molly looking at a photo of herself and her late older sister, Abigail<\/p>\n Going on to express that she hopes her daughters\u2019 stories could help other families who have experienced SUDC (sudden unexpected death in children), Melissa explained that Molly was monitored in the hospital before she died, which provided answers they were never able to get when Abigail became sick.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been told that even a minor illness could potentially trigger a sudden cardiac event,\u201d she explained. \u201cWe were in the best possible place, with everything aligned for the best conditions and the best outcome. Her little body fought so hard. But we\u2019ve been told that this type of cardiac event is, in most cases, not survivable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hope we will get more answers soon and will be doing more genetic investigation for our family now we have possibly a clearer avenue to explore,\u201d she concluded. \u201cWe are grateful for every single one of you.\u201d<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Melissa](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2c846b3829b70ffd0d9164f6a4fb6f85.jpeg\"\/)
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