A grieving couple from West Lothian have found a beautiful way to keep their daughter’s memory alive after she tragically passed away in her sleep aged just two.
Steph and Donny Mitchell’s world was turned upside down on January 4 when they discovered their daughter Kerris, who was born with special needs, had stopped breathing in the night. Everything had seemed normal until just after midnight. A post-mortem couldn’t give any concrete answers, with doctors putting her death down to Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood, reported the Daily Record.
In the crushing silence that followed the funeral, Steph and Donny – both bus drivers – channelled their grief into something positive. Knowing how much Kerris loved Christmas and Easter, they decided to honour her by spreading love during her favourite holidays.
At Easter, they decorated entrances at four cemeteries in West Lothian with flowers and plastic bunnies – completely self-funded, with no fundraising or donations. “We just wanted to spread some Easter cheer for Kerris,” Steph said. “By lunchtime, everything had gone. We kept topping up the flowers so nobody missed out.”
Last Christmas, the couple handed out gifts to kids on their street, delivered flowers to cemeteries, and even visited Kerris’ grave dressed as Santa. “It’s a struggle,” Steph admitted. “Her birthday was 11 days after she died and she was still in the mortuary. We couldn’t do anything for it. But we’ve always done something special afterwards – this year we released balloons.”
The couple say doing these acts of kindness helps them manage the pain and create something meaningful out of their loss. “When the funeral ends, it’s like the world just moves on – but we’re still here, dealing with the grief. It’s lonely. Kerris had so much love, we wanted to spread that for others.”
The community has responded with overwhelming support. Strangers, neighbours, and friends have praised the family, some even leaving flowers at Kerris’ grave in return. “Everyone knows her name now,” Steph said. “The community never got the chance to know her, but they do now. She’s still spreading love.”
The Mitchells are already planning more ways to honour Kerris this Christmas. “We just wanted to make a difference to one or two families,” Steph added. “It feels like we did that. Kerris left a mark, and through this, she still is.”
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