'Heroic' girl Symone Rowley (12) who died of rare illness to be laid to rest today

Symone Rowley (12), from Mullingar in Co. Westmeath, died “peacefully” on Tuesday surrounded by her family just two days before her 13th birthday. Her family had arranged for music superstar Ed Sheeran to call her on her big day.

At age 11, Symone was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis, a rare spinal condition caused by inflammation of the spinal cord which left her without the ability to walk.

She will be sadly missed by her mother Hazel; father Jason; brother Oliver; sisters Angel, Skylar, and Harley; nanny Rose; aunts; uncles; cousins; relatives; and friends.

Symone’s funeral mass will take place this morning, Thursday 12th May, at 11am in the Cathedral Christ the King, Mullingar followed by burial in Ballyglass Cemetery.

Paying tribute to the “bubbly” and “kind” young girl, her grandmother Rose said that the funeral is going to be a celebration of Symone’s young life.

“She is our hero. She is going to leave her home as a hero, brought in a carriage. She had planned her own little wedding. She said that she would have a white dress and a diamond tiara. That's what she is laid out in is her beautiful wedding dress and her diamond tiara. She is going to have her carriage and her horses. She is going to have everything.

“We love her so much, with all our hearts. She is not in any pain anymore. That just means everything to us. No more needles, no more hospital beds. She is in her big princess bed now that was specially made for her.

“We are going to give her a wedding day, not a funeral, a wedding day. Up in heaven she will meet her Prince Charming.”