Heartbroken mom stayed with body of her daughter, 11, for days till neighbours came looking for 'inseparable pair'
QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA: A grieving mother reportedly stayed with her 11-year-old daughter's body for days after the girl mysteriously died. The mother, identified as Nicole Smith, found her daughter Sophie dead at home last week in Queensland, Australia.
Smith's husband, Edward, who is a fly-in, fly-out worker, reportedly became worried after he did not hear from the "inseparable" pair for days. Eventually, he sought help from his neighbors, asking them to go check on his family.
Reports state that Sophie's school had attempted to contact the family after she missed a number of days. One neighbor rushed into the family's home to find Sophie lifeless and Nicole lying injured beside her. The mother was taken to a hospital and it is believed that her injuries were self-inflicted. She is in a stable condition now, according to The Sun.
Authorities are currently treating the case as "non-suspicious," however, they are continuing to investigate the circumstances around her death.
Cleveland Detective Inspector Owen Elloy released a statement, saying: "Obviously, it’s a very sad event, and it’s not something at this point in time we believe is suspicious."
Meanwhile, Sophie's father, Edward, paid a tribute to his daughter, saying: "We now have a guardian angel looking over us. “Nicky and I have a huge void in our hearts and a part of our lives is missing. Thank you so much for your kind words and support."
A friend of the family, while speaking to the Courier-Mail, said that the mother and daughter were "inseparable."
“(Nicole) is such a beautiful mum, I can’t imagine her without her daughter. Her whole world was Sophie, her life is her daughter. She is a charitable, lovely lady," the friend said.
A GoFundMe page was set up for Sophie's funeral expenses and as dozens contributed, they also paid a tribute to the little girl there.
Juss Mortensen wrote: "I am heartbroken for you, as my kids are for the loss of their friend." While Kerri Vidler said: "Sophie will never be forgotten and is missed terribly. God be with you and your family. I knew Sophie, she was a beautiful, loving and caring young girl, so happy and bouncy. The Unicorn girl and her mum Nicole and her were inseparable."