A couple from Little Hadham devastated by the sudden death of their 17-year-old daughter have paid a moving tribute to the happy, smiling teenager on the brink of an exciting future.
Caroline Johnstone, who lived in Chapel Lane, collapsed as she danced with friends at a nightclub.
Medics managed to resuscitate her, but she suffered brain damage and parents Lesley and Johnny made the agonising decision to turn off her life support.
Caroline had dropped her mum and dad off in Bishop’s Stortford on Friday June 5 and driven to a friend’s in Old Harlow.
“I got a phone call on my mobile,” said Mrs Johnstone.
“I thought it was Caroline to say, ‘Hi, Mum’, but it was one of her friends to say she had been dancing and collapsed, and they were trying to resuscitate her.
Mr Johnstone continued: “We found out that she had suffered severe brain damage through the oxygen starvation after collapsing.
“We didn’t like the idea of seeing Caroline in a vegetative state and she wouldn’t have liked it. We had lost Caroline that Friday.
“We took the decision to start closing down the machine and she passed away at 8.20am on Thursday June 12. We discussed it with Ross (Caroline’s 15-year-old brother) and he wanted to be there.”
Caroline was born with a hole in the heart and had a pacemaker fitted when she was 5 months old.
“She was very infectious, incredibly smiley, always happy. I used to call her my social butterfly,” said Mrs Johnstone.
“She packed a huge amount into her 17 years. We just wanted her for a lot longer.”
The cause of Caroline’s sudden illness has not been determined.
Nearly 400 people packed St Andrew’s Church in Much Hadham for her funeral last Friday, which was followed by cremation at Pardnon Wood in Harlow.
Donations in Caroline’s memory are for the charity, CRY – Cardiac Risk in the Young.
