A Family's Tragedy

Illawarra Mercury

Saturday April 19, 2008

By JODIE MINUS

IT began as a spring school day like any other. Vivacious 12-year-old Ebony Giraldi went to St Columbkille's Primary School in Corrimal and nothing seemed to be wrong.

The happy and much-loved girl completed her morning schoolwork with a neat and steady hand and at lunchtime joined her friends in the playground.

But before the bell rang to return to class, Ebony's life was cut tragically short.

While skipping with friends she suffered a heart attack, collapsed to the ground and died instantly.

A bright light left the Giraldi family and the tight-knit Corrimal Catholic community mourned.

Since that devastating September day, Ebony's family have struggled to overcome the sudden loss of their youngest daughter from a rare heart condition, myocarditis.

Ebony would have turned 13 today and while her parents still grieve, they are channelling their energies into a June fundraiser for the Heart Foundation, which they hope will help honour her short life.

"We didn't know anything about myocarditis before, but it's an inflammation of the heart that encompasses a lot of things," said Ebony's mother Jenny, supported by husband Paul, sons Daniel and Jai and daughters Elissa and Shenae.

"In Ebony's case, a virus attacked her heart but it was more her body's reaction to the virus.

"They think she had it for about three or four months before she died and it just progressively damaged her heart until it just couldn't go any further."

There were no visible signs to indicate that there was anything wrong.

"She played netball, she ran in a carnival the week before, she was fine and didn't complain of anything," Paul Giraldi said.

Mrs Giraldi said that on the fateful morning, "she got up just like normal, happy, even the kids at school said she was just her normal self."

The Giraldis described Ebony as a "spirited and fiery" girl who could hold her own in arguments with her big sisters, but who was also very affectionate.

"She gave us lots of lovely things, she didn't know she was going to die of course, but she was very verbal in her love," Mrs Giraldi said.

"She would say 'I love you, Mum, I love you Dad', and we have many beautiful things that she has written," she added.

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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