A BRAVE little girl who defied the odds throughout her short but fun-filled life has died, a year after her mum was told she may only have weeks to live.

Erin Sadler, of Ipswich Road, Colchester, died on Tuesday aged just nine-years-old, much to the shock of the thousands of supporters who had followed her journey.

Since being born in October 2013, Erin, who survived sepsis, a haemorrhage and heart attack, had battled several serious and life-threatening conditions on a daily basis.

In addition to having blood, kidney, liver and heart disease Erin, who once went into cardiac arrest in her mother’s arms, had PTSD and autism.

Over the course of her life she also endured hundreds of blood transfusions and was required to take as many 29 medications every day

Gazette:

Despite every adversity thrown her way, amazing Erin always exceeded expectations, but earlier this week her health deteriorated.

After her temperature spiked, she was caught in a loop of seizures, constantly vomiting and struggling to sleep.

The day after her devoted mum, Helen, had shared the update on her daughter’s condition, however, Erin tragically lost her battle for life.

Speaking previously about Erin, Helen said: “Erin is a cracking little girl and she is incredible and she makes the best of everything.

"She’s a force of nature and shines so bright. She’s our sun and we rotate around her. She’s hilarious and has a wicked sense of humour.

"It’s devastating she’s never been able to reach her full potential due to her health, but she’s never permitted her health to define her. Erin’s tenacity is undeniable."

As well as always bring a smile to the face of her devoted mum, Erin also brought joy to all those who followed her journey – not least with her love of sponge.

Her fascination with the squidgy material, which had a calming effect on Erin, started after she picked out a pack of sponge animals, expressing a desire to cut them up.

She also enjoyed a real celebrity moment back in July when she was invited to open a new Morrisons supermarket in Clacton.

Gazette:

Speaking at the time Helen said: “It’s lovely when people have read about her and followed her story - they’re excited to see her and say they feel they know her.

“They say she’s an inspiration and hearing that from others makes me very proud. Erin has had a lot of suffering in her short life so deserves to have fun.”