In a heart-wrenching Instagram post on December 26th, influencer Melissa Mae Carlton and her husband Tom shared the devastating news of their youngest daughter Molly's passing. "On Christmas morning, our sweet Molly girl was reunited with her big sister Abi," Melissa wrote, referring to the loss of their daughter Abigail in 2024. "This is the only thing giving me a sliver of comfort. Molly missed her sister so deeply. She would often ask me, 'Mummy, when is Jesus coming back so Abi can come down?'"
Abi had succumbed to sepsis at the age of nine in April 2024. Despite the loss, Melissa and Tom have kept the cause of Molly's death and her age private. "We are devastated. In disbelief. Confused and in shock," Melissa continued. "We are exhausted and shaken after a day filled with trauma and heartbreak. I feel numb. I cannot yet accept that this is real. I am not ready for this pain."
Melissa shared poignant images of herself and Tom cradling Molly from a hospital bed, expressing their gratitude for the prayers and support they received. "I am asking, with all my heart, that those prayers do not stop," she wrote. "In the days and weeks ahead, there will be so much to do and to organize, and we will need strength beyond our own."
As she looked ahead to a future without Molly, Melissa admitted her fear and heartbreak. "I am scared of what life looks like now for us. I am heartbroken for our children." She concluded by asking for continued prayers for her family as they take "one very small step at a time" through this difficult time.
Melissa, who runs a faith-inspired art shop with 80,000 followers on Instagram, has previously been open about her grief over Abi's death. In a post last month, she shared throwback home movies of Abi and admitted, "The truth is, it really, really sucks. I hate it. I miss her so much." She continued, "I still can't believe this happened. I still can't believe she's gone."
In a subsequent post on December 11th, Melissa revealed that she had learned from her experience with child loss. "One thing child loss has taught me is that I'm done wanting my house to feel like a show home. I want it cozy. Lived in. With clear evidence that children live here." She further shared that she had made "Abi angels," hung childhood ornaments on their Christmas tree, and even framed one of Abi's holiday pajamas for the wall. "This is what Christmas looks like now," Melissa concluded.
