Influencer Melissa Mae Carlton announces death of daughter 20 months after losing her 9-year-old to sepsis

Social media influencer Melissa Mae Carlton and her husband, Tom, have been hit with a tragedy no parent should ever have to face, as they confirmed the heartbreaking death of their youngest daughter Molly.

Melissa, a successful influencer who also runs a faith-based art shop, confirmed the devastating news on Friday December 26, with a carousel of pictures of Molly, alongside their other children and photos of her and her husband.

Captioning the images on Instagram, Melissa explained that Molly had passed away on Christmas Day and is now with her big sister Abi, who died at the age of nine in April 2024 after a short battle with sepsis.

She wrote, "On Christmas morning, our sweet Molly girl, and her big sister Abi were reunited. [broken heart emoji] This is the only thing giving me even a small sense of comfort.

“Molly missed her sister so deeply. She would often ask me, 'Mummy, when is Jesus coming back so Abi can come down?'

“We are devastated. In disbelief. Confused and in shock. We are exhausted and shaken after a day filled with trauma and heartbreak."

The caption then continued: "I feel numb. I cannot yet accept that this is real. I am not ready for this pain.

“We are overwhelmed by how many of you prayed with us and for her yesterday. I am asking, with all my heart, that those prayers do not stop [red heart emoji].

“In the days and weeks ahead, there will be so much to do and to organize, and we will need strength beyond our own."

While the pain is still fresh for her and her husband, Melissa also expressed her concerns for her surviving children son Harry, and daughter Lily. She said she is ‘scared of what life looks like now for us’ and is ‘heartbroken’ for her children.

Immediately after the death was announced, countless followers reached out to the family to express their condolences, but some social media users also began to speculate about the cause of death.

Rather than let the rumour mill leap into overdrive, Melissa made the brave decision to speak out directly, even in her grief, to reveal that although an official cause of death had yet to be established, doctors did have a strong suspicion of what may have been behind the deaths of both her children.

“I hesitate to share a medical update already because we still don’t have an official diagnosis. But I do feel it’s important to let people know that we have some answers this time,” she wrote on Instagram. “The doctors believe Molly had a genetic heart condition and suspect this may have been the case with Abi as well.”

She also shared that she hoped by going public with the story, it could help other families who had also faced the heartbreaking tragedy of a SUDC (sudden unexpected death in children).

“We’ve been told that even a minor illness could potentially trigger a sudden cardiac event,” she explained. “We 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’ve been told that this type of cardiac event is, in most cases, not survivable.”

“I 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,” she concluded. “We are grateful for every single one of you."

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact The Compassionate Friends on (877) 969-0010.