A Lanarkshire grandmother named Diane Edgar is facing her first Christmas without two beloved family members. Her world shattered twice in just nine months. Her six-month-old granddaughter, Pixie, died earlier this year. Pixie’s death was due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The tragedy happened during a bath.
Pixie’s mother was Diane’s daughter, Paula Edgar. Paula was 34 years old. She had dreamed of being a mother since she was a teenager. Pixie was her miracle baby. Paula was completely devoted to her little girl. She rarely let anyone else help with her care.
Losing Pixie changed Paula forever. Diane says her daughter became a shell of her former self. Then, Paula faced more hardship. She began having seizures. Doctors discovered she had two brain tumours.
The thought of Christmas without Pixie was too much for Paula to bear. The young mother died suddenly in November. Her family was left crushed by another devastating loss.
Diane, who lives in Blantyre, is now sharing her story. She wants to honour the memory of her “wee sidekicks.”
“Paula was the bubbliest, happiest person,” Diane said. “She was high on life. That all went away when Pixie passed.”
She remembers her daughter’s pure joy as a new mother. “Pixie was her entire world. Her first Christmas was the happiest we ever had.”
Diane described Pixie as “one of the most wonderful wee souls.” She says Christmas will now be a time of quiet grief.
“Paula had a big, loud, infectious laugh,” Diane shared. “Now it’s just silent. Christmas is going to be tough without her.”
The family plans to remember the joy Paula and Pixie brought. “We will remember her for the wonderful soul she was,” Diane said. “She touched thousands of people. She was one in a million. I’ll miss her laugh the most.”
The local community has rallied around Diane. They remember Paula as a kind and popular local figure. This support is a small light in a very dark time for the grieving grandmother.