Death of a daughter: Every parent's nightmare

They had to say goodbye to their beloved daughter before her life support system was switched off.

Speaking exclusively to the Observer, Don and Jill Ward say they've been overwhelmed with support since Bexhill High School prefect Francesca fell ill from the brain bug and died five days later on Tuesday last week.

Mrs Ward said: "If one good thing has come out of Francesca's tragic death, it's that parents in this area have been made aware of the dangers of meningitis. It's a vicious disease."

Francesca began complaining of headaches and sore limbs after school on Thursday October 17 and was kept off school on Friday.

By evening she had been sick and her con

Mr Ward said: "It was so frightening how quick it all happened. We knew there was a sickness bug going round and we put it down to that at first.

"We checked on her throughout the day and she wasn't getting better so when we got home from work we phoned the doctor.

"Then she started to black out. I was shouting at her but she couldn't hear me.

"We phoned the doctor again and he immediately sent an ambulance. We got to the hospital and she stopped breathing at 7pm that evening."

Over the next few days up to 100 friends visited Francesca as she lay in a coma at the Conquest Hospital - kept alive only by a ventilator.

Mr Ward continued: "Her friends were so brave and they gave us a lot of strength. We were told on Tuesday that nothing could be done for Francesca and we went in to say goodbye.

"They had taken away all the medical equipment and she looked like Sleeping Beauty, so at peace."

The official cause of death was meningococcal meningitis. A huge vaccination programme followed at the High School.

A popular and intelligent pupil, Francesca had returned to Bexhill High in March after the family had spent 10 months in Australia - not four years, as the Observer was previously led to believe.

Her death has shocked the school and a mass treatment operation took place on Saturday as a precaution after a 14-year-old boy was rushed to hospital with suspected meningitis.

Mr Ward added: "She was on the doorstep of life. She was determined to catch up with the GCSE coursework she had missed and did so well she was due to take Maths and English early.

"In her last week of her life she was on a high - celebrating a joint 16th birthday party with 70 friends and closer links with a young man she had known for some time."