NEED TO KNOW
- Utah girl Elora “Ellie” Ann Rudd, 4, died from the flu, while wearing a blue princess gown, in her parents’ arms
- “She battled so long and so hard,” said her mom, Sarah Rudd
- A GoFundMe, set up to help the family pay for medical bills and funeral costs, has raised more than $21,000
A 4-year-old Utah girl — who loved the movie Frozen, Sour Patch Kids and her three siblings — died due to complications from the flu.
Sarah Rudd shared that her daughter, Elora “Ellie” Ann Rudd, died at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 6, after “fighting for her life” since Friday, Jan. 2.
“It’s with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of my wonderful Ellie,” the grieving mother from Ogden wrote in a Facebook post alongside photos of Ellie. “She battled so long and so hard. She left this mortal realm around 1:50. We love you and we will miss you.”
In a previous Facebook post shared on Sunday, Jan. 4, the mom asked for prayers and detailed Ellie’s health condition at the time.
“She has pneumonia, sepsis, internal bleeding,” she explained, adding that Ellie was “sedated” and on “tons of antibiotics, and blood thinners.”
The mom updated the post two days later to reveal that Ellie had been “removed from life support” and passed away.
Ellie’s online obituary gave a glimpse into her life, revealing that she loved the song “You Are My Sunshine” as well as “the color pink, the movie Frozen, Sour Patch Kids, her older sister Mary Jane, her younger brother Kyler, and her baby sister Danielle.”
When Ellie died, she was “dressed in a blue princess gown given by the staff … and cradled in her parents’ arms,” per the obit.
Ellie is survived by her dad, Michael Rudd; her mom, Sarah; her three siblings, Mary Jane, Kyler and Danielle; and other loving relatives.
Sarah’s sister-in-law Ranae set up a GoFundMe to help the family pay for medical bills and funeral costs. The page has raised over $21,000.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“She put up a good fight but ultimately succumbed to complications due to blood clots in her heart and lack of blood flow to her brain. She passed quickly,” Ranae wrote in the fundraiser’s description.
“We love and miss our sweet Ellie more than words can describe,” Ranae continued, adding, “Thank you for thinking of us and thank you for helping keep the memory of our sweet girl alive.”
Read the full article here
