Influencer Melissa Mae Carlton Shares ‘Medical Update’ After Youngest Daughter’s Death, 1 Year After Older Daughter Died of Sepsis

Melissa Mae Carlton says she is still searching for answers after the deaths of her two young daughters.

In April 2024, the influencer and her husband, Tom Carlton, announced that their daughter Abigail had “unexpectedly passed over to the other side” after battling sepsis at age 9.

“There are no words to express how heartbroken and devastated we are,” Melissa wrote on Instagram at the time. “I wasn’t sure when or how much I would share this on here, but I feel moved to this morning.”

“We are feeling the worst pain we have ever felt in our lives, but somehow profound peace at the same time,” she continued, sharing photos of Abigail and their family. “We feel so much peace about where she is, but she will leave a huge void in ours and so many others’ lives. She was the sweetest most loving, generous, funny girl and we feel so grateful that Heavenly Father chose us to raise, teach and protect her until it was time to call her back to him. We will miss her so much here.”

At the time, Melissa did not share additional details about Abigail’s cause of death.

Just over a year later, Melissa shared another devastating update: the couple’s younger daughter, Molly, died on Thursday, Dec. 25.

“On Christmas morning, our sweet Molly girl and her big sister Abi were reunited,” she wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of herself and Tom holding Molly in a hospital bed, as well as other family images. “This is the only thing giving me even a small sense of comfort. Molly missed her sister so deeply. She would often ask me, ‘Mummy, when is Jesus coming back so Abi can come down?’ ”

“We are devastated. In disbelief. Confused and in shock,” she added. “We are exhausted and shaken after a day filled with trauma and heartbreak. I feel numb. I cannot yet accept that this is real. I am not ready for this pain.”

Later, Melissa—who also shares children Harry and Lily with her husband—posted another message addressing “speculation” about Molly’s sudden death.

“I hesitate to share a medical update already because we still don’t have an official diagnosis. But I do feel it’s important to let people know that we have some answers this time,” she wrote on Instagram. “The doctors believe Molly had a genetic heart condition and suspect this may have been the case with Abi as well.”

She said she hopes their daughters’ stories may help other families affected by SUDC (sudden unexpected death in children). Melissa also explained that Molly was being monitored in the hospital before she died, which offered information the family did not have when Abigail became ill.

“We’ve been told that even a minor illness could potentially trigger a sudden cardiac event,” she wrote. “We were in the best possible place, with everything aligned for the best conditions and the best outcome. Her little body fought so hard. But we’ve been told that this type of cardiac event is, in most cases, not survivable.”

“I hope we will get more answers soon and will be doing more genetic investigation for our family now we have possibly a clearer avenue to explore,” she concluded. “We are grateful for every single one of you.”