Little Olivia Pratt-Korbel was upstairs in bed when she heard a frightening commotion at her front door.
She ran to the bottom of her stairs and said: “Mummy, I’m scared.”
Seconds later, a bullet passed through her chest. Mum Cheryl said: “I knew she’d gone. I knew she’d gone.”
Olivia was just nine years old. An innocent victim of the deadly drug trade being plied in Liverpool. Unimaginable.
To lose her little girl like that in the blink of an eye is a pain that will never heal.
But Cheryl is using her pain to do what the authorities have been failing to do for a long time now.
To battle the gun and gang culture that is tearing the city apart.
Today – in her first interview since the death of her little girl – she vows to keep up the fight.
First, she wants a memorial garden in little Olivia’s name. A green, peaceful space in the city where youngsters can play together, happy and safe.
She wants projects in the community that keep kids on the straight and narrow.
And she wants new laws to properly punish these cowards, to make them have to look their victims’ families in the eye and realise the lives they have shattered.
We would urge all our readers to donate to Cheryl’s campaign, to do proper justice to a life cut so cruelly short.
In the meantime, on Easter Sunday – a day for reflection – we should all spare a thought for tragic Olivia.
A little girl who loved her family and friends, loved swings and slides, loved helping people, and dreamt of a life full of sunflowers and parties and fun.
We should do all we can to make sure no family ever feels pain like this again. All of us.
For Olivia, the little girl who loved to dance.
Late, great Deb
It is more than nine months since the death of Bowelbabe star Dame Deborah James and her good work continues.
An inspiration to millions of people, she won the heart of the nation for her honest, open story and campaigns while she battled her bowel cancer.
At the last count, Dame Deborah has raised £11.3million for vital cancer research.
Like her friend Lorraine Kelly says: “She was a force of nature and a woman on a mission. I feel very lucky to have known her.” We all do.
Easter punnies
A lesser newspaper would mark Easter by wishing you an egg-cellent break, or something other egg-related pun.
We are above those sort of lame yolks. But do remember one really important thing.
Have a cracking time.
