AN UNCLE has spoken of his grief after his niece died from sepsis at just 11 days old.

Sean Atherton, 30, from Worthing, said he would always remember Trixie Kaye’s sweet little face before she passed away.

Trixie was the daughter of his younger brother Ashley and his partner Shona.

Sean said: “When Trixie was sent home after she was born, we didn’t see any signs of her being unwell.

“My partner only noticed she had cold feet. It was hot that day, but at the time we didn’t put two and two together.

“The next day, Trixie was rushed to Worthing Hospital, and then she was admitted to Southampton Hospital because her condition got very serious.

“Trixie was hooked on to so many machines, she was so little yet she went through so much. Unfortunately Trixie didn’t make it, she died at the hospital.

“It was such a shock, we didn’t think this would happen.

“I will always remember Trixie’s sweet little face. I will always cherish the moment the first time I saw her.”

Sean praised Ashley and Shona, who also live in Worthing, for their strength as they try to come to terms with their loss.

He said: “My brother is very resilient. He also has five stepchildren to look after so he needs to be strong for them. Of course there are bad days for them when they’re feeling down.

“Shona’s health hasn’t been well, she has just recovered from an infection.”

After the family’s loss, Sean decided to take on a 300-mile cycling challenge from London to Paris. He aims to raise money for the children’s hospice, Chestnut Tree House.

The charity provides care services for children with progressive or life-shortening illnesses.

It also offers bereavement support for families.

He said: “The Chestnut Tree House has been amazing. They gave so much support to Ashley and Shona and I truly believe the help they gave made their ordeal a little easier.

“I want to give something back to the hospice because I want to repay them for their support and kindness.

“I have never ridden 300 miles before so I have been training really hard to prepare myself for the journey.

“I used to do a lot of sports like football and cross country but I had to stop because of an ankle injury. I will be doing the bike ride with my close friend William Cook. He is also doing his own fundraising campaign.

"I want to thank IT company Valusys for supporting my journey. They purchased the bike for me. I want to give them a special thanks for their generosity."  

Sean will set off on October 16. Go to uk.gofundme.com/london-2-paris-in-memory-of-trixie to support him.