Matilda Pritchard: The girl who died in her sleep

Matilda Pritchard, an 11-year-old girl whose smile and kindness touched everyone around her, was taken too soon. One day, she fell asleep — and never woke up again.

Now, her father is reaching out for our help to ensure her legacy lives on.

Went to sleep normally

Matilda Pritchard seemed like a regular, happy 11-year-old girl — she was full of life, with no signs of anything being wrong.

Her parents never imagined anything could be off.

On the night of April 2, 2024, she went to bed like she always did, nothing out of the ordinary. Her father, Steven Pritchard, remembers how his daughter simply went to sleep ”normally.”

But when he woke up the next morning, Matilda was gone. Her parents, Steven and Anna, tried everything to rouse her, but when they couldn’t, they called paramedics. Sadly, they weren’t able to revive her either. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors immediately pronounced her dead – her cause of death was cardiac arrest.

Showed no signs of the illness

According to the family, Matilda passed away peacefully in her sleep, from an undiagnosed heart condition called Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. ARVC is a genetic condition where the heart muscles are weaker than usual, making it harder for the heart to pump blood.

This can lead to serious problems, like sudden cardiac arrest, which can be fatal.

ARVC affects 1 in 1,000 people. Matilda showed no signs of the illness until the tragic moment she passed away in her sleep.

Matilda’s death made her parents deeply concerned for their other daughter, Olivia. Since the condition could be hereditary, they quickly had her tested.

”She’s 14, and symptoms usually start around 13. But everything’s come back completely clean – we’re all fine,” Steven told Daily Mail.

Passionate about the environment

Unfortunately, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy can’t be cured. However, there are treatments available, including medication and the option to implant a pacemaker. If the condition had been detected in time, Matilda might still be here today.

Now, her family is doing everything they can to honor her life and memory. Matilda was passionate about the environment and dreamed of a cleaner world, free from garbage and toxins in the soil.

A huge animal lover, she dreamed of a world without rubbish.

She regularly picked up litter in her local park, finding joy in seeing a clean space after her efforts. Matilda’s dedication didn’t go unnoticed. In 2023, she was thrilled to receive a Blue Peter green badge for her hard work.

”11 years of laughter and silliness”

Mr. Pritchard said, ”It’s been catastrophically terrible — but I’m hoping we can start the process of our little girl’s dream, of a world without litter.”

The family had originally created the JustGiving page to channel their grief, setting a target of £11,213 ($14,000) to represent Matilda’s birthday, 11/02/13. This amount was meant to honor the 11 years of laughter, silliness, and pure kindness that would forever be cherished by her friends and family.

They are now aiming to raise £42,000 ($53,000) to fund five years of sponsorship for this incredible cause, representing the years Matilda should have spent in secondary school. Currently, the fundraiser has raised 67% of their goal.