By JULIA RAVENSCROFT

A TWO-YEAR-OLD girl who captured the hearts of the people of Warrington has lost her fight for life.

Surrounded by her parents, grandparents and carers, Ellie Daniels, of Longbarn Lane, Woolston, died from an attack of bronchopneumonia after battling for 12 months.

Ellie fell into a pond on March 13 last year when she was 18 months old and was rushed to Pendlebury Hospital where she was in a coma.

She later came off the life support machine and was expected to die but kept battling on for a year after the accident and was moved to Warrington Hospital.

Mum Sue said: "When people started doing things with her she opened her eyes and started to move her arms. She would reach up to cuddle you."

Sue and family members took Ellie out almost every day and strived to give her as normal a life as possible.

Before the accident Ellie was always a live wire who loved her mum's horse, Sooty. I used to wish she would just sit down for five minutes and watch a video but she was a determined little madam and I think that's what gave her the will to live those 12 months.

"They said she should never have survived but she was so determined."

Family members fundraised for an intravenous baclofen pump to stop Ellie's spasms, a campaign which captured the hearts of the town.

Sue said: "She was a real star. I just think it all got too much for her. She used to cry and that upset me because there was nothing you could do."

Tragedy struck when Ellie contracted bronchopneumonia and the family had a chance to put her back on to a life support machine but they decided not to because they said it would be unfair to her.

When Sue thought Ellie might die she phoned her grandparents who were on holiday. They arrived two days later and Sue said she believes Ellie waited until all the family were around her, holding her and telling her they loved her.

Sue said: "I wanted her to die with us as she needed to know that she was loved. She knew only love, no pain and no hurt. That's why she lived for so long.

"I wouldn't have changed those 12 months for the world. They were very special."

The family were helped through the past 12 months by the Butterfly Project, a part of NCH Action for Children, which cares for families of children with life-limiting illnesses.

Through them she met another mum who wrote her a letter saying that Ellie would be waiting for her daughter Gemma in heaven where they would be best friends.

The family would also like to thank comedian Charlie Hale, Brookfields Surgery, Ward B11 at Warrington Hospital, Sue Lawton and the continuing care team and all the people who did so much to raise thousands of pounds.

The family are planning to donate the money to the Butterfly Project, the hospital's sensor room, Ward B11 and the continuing care team.