Northern Ireland

'You are our sunshine our only sunshine:' Funeral details of Stella-Lily (5) confirmed

The funeral of a little girl who died from infection linked to the invasive strep A bacteria will take place on Wednesday 14th December.

Five--year-old Stella-Lily McCorkindale, was taken to A&E twice over two days before being admitted to intensive care on the third visit, her father told The Irish News.

The P2 pupil at Black Mountain Primary School, died on Monday at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, nine days after she first became ill, Robert McCorkindale said.

Her father had brought her to the same hospital on Monday and Tuesday last week but was sent home both times after being diagnosed as having a simple viral infection, he said.

He returned to the emergency room with his still extremely sick daughter the following day. After a short examination, including a chest X-ray, Stella-Lily was rushed to intensive care.

After five days in ICU, most of the time in an induced coma and latterly severely brain damaged, the decision was taken to switch off life support, her father said.

Following a traumatic and exhausting more than a week, Mr McCorkindale and with Stella-Lily's mother Collette are making plans to bury their “princess”.

The funeral service will be held at her grandmother's home in Bromley Street in the Shankill area followed by a service at Roselawn Crematorium.

The funeral notice read: "Fell Asleep 5th December 2022. Beloved daughter of Robert and Colette. Will be sorely missed by her loving mum, dad and family circle. You are our sunshine our only sunshine." 

“I am just devastated,” Mr McCorkindale, from Shankill Road, said. “I was her best friend. We were best mates. We were like two peas in a pod.”

Friends and family, in tributes, remembered how inseparable the father and daughter were, always to be seen on the road together.

“We loved every minute together walking this road, on our scooter rides or on the bikes,” Mr McCorkindale said.

The two were together Saturday a week ago when the little girl first started complaining of being sick. She had a sore stomach, a temperature and was coughing over night.

Paracetamol could not tame the temperature on Sunday and she was even worse the following day, Mr McCorkindale said.

She had trouble breathing and her stomach was going in and out, the father said. He phoned the doctor who advised going to A&E.

Stella-Lily was lethargic on Monday night as he carried her to hospital. After examination, he was advised to treat with paracetamol at home.

But there was no improvement the following day. Her lips were also dehydrated. The parents, separated but in close touch, were so concerned that Stella-Lily was brought again to the emergency room.

Following examination, they again were told the child had a viral infection. A dehydration drug appeared to revive her a little on Tuesday and she was sent home.

“All this time she was just sleeping, for 20 hours each day. We just kept giving her paracetamol,” Mr McCorkindale said.

“We felt there was no point going to the GP because we had seen two doctors and they reaffirmed it was viral infection.”

Stella-Lily was with her mother, Collette, on Wednesday. According to Mr McCorkindale, the little girl said: “Mummy, I feel like I am dying.”

On returning again to the hospital, Mr McCorkindale described how he burst through the doors of the emergency room and shouted: “Get me a doctor, get me a doctor now.” He used an expletive. He described his child as so lethargic she was “like a bag a potatoes”.

At this point she also had a rash. Her father said she appeared delusional.

This time, doctors went into overdrive, a chest X-ray was immediately ordered. Her chest was infected by the strep A bacteria, Mr McCorkindale was told, and it had spread through other parts of the body.

She was rushed to intensive care and put on an intensive round of antibiotics. But, Mr McCorkindale said, his little girl started struggling when they tried to attach a line.

“They decided to put her under,” he said. “At one point on Thursday, she died and they had to resuscitate.”

A CT scan revealed she had suffered severe brain damage. Stella-Lily remained on life support for days before the family agreed the machine would be switched off on Monday, Mr McCorkindale said.

“I cannot say enough about everyone in ICU. They did everything for her."

Stella-Lily will be laid to rest on December 14 following a service at her grandmother's home at Bromley Street followed by cremation at Roselawn.

In a Facebook post, her aunt Cheryl McCorkindale summed up the feelings of the family and the wider community.

“I had the absolute pleasure of calling Stella-lily McCorkindale my niece and my kids not just their cousin but their friend.

“She was a beautiful, sweet, loving and funny little girl who fought so hard to stay with us, she was too good for this world.

“Our family will never be the same again. Cannot believe I won’t see her smile again or hear her shout at me for picking on her daddy, her best mate….love you loads wee woman.”

Black Mountain Primary School described her death as a “tragic loss” with the thoughts of the entire school community with family and friends at this “sad and difficult time”.

“Stella-Lily was a very bright and talented little girl and very popular with both staff and children and will be greatly missed by everyone at school.”

On Tuesday evening Belfast Trust issued a statement that read: "We send our deepest condolences to the McCorkindale family following the passing of Stella-Lily. Every aspect of the care Stella-Lily received is being carefully reviewed. The death of a child is a heart-breaking event for family and friends and in such tragic circumstances we give the family space to grieve. 


"Hospital management will be available to meet Stella-Lily's family at a time that suits them. Our thoughts are with them at this incredibly sad time."