THE FUNERAL of a young Hampshire girl “who was so prevalent in the community” was limited to just 10 close family attending due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As previously reported, 11-year-old Brooke Leavey passed away with her parents by her side at their home in Hedge End on March 14, after almost a year battling with an aggressive cancer known as DIPG, which left her with an inoperable tumour on her brain stem.

Hundreds of family, friends and people in the local community where set to flock to the streets for Brooke’s funeral on Friday March 27, but due to government guidelines and social distancing rules, the service was gradually reduced in size. On the day, only ten close family members were allowed to attend the service at Wessex Vale Crematorium, with a few close friends being alowed to wait outside of the service.

Helen Patten, a close family friend of Brooke, said: “It was a lovely service, but it wasn’t what was planned. We were going to have a massive send off. People donated so much money, time, love and effort since Brooke was diagnosed and people would have lined the streets. But because of social distancing, the service got smaller and smaller and only ten members of her closest family could attend.

“For a child that was so prevalent in the community, to have such a locked down service is awful. So we are going to fundraise again and host a big celebration of her life when all of this is over. In 11 short years, she made a massive impact on our lives and we want to honour this.

“Brooke’s parents, Daniel and Lisa, are social distancing like the rest of us, but we are all desperate to see them. The best thing for them now is to see people that care about them and to be lifted up, but we’re not allowed.”

Despite only being here for 11 years, Helen said that Brooke made “such an impact” on those around her, and hundreds of people fundraised to allow her to receive care in the USA that wasn't available in the United Kingdom.

However, despite medical treatment, the 11-year-old succumbed to the rare illness.

As previously reported, pupils from Brooke's school, Berrywood, raised more than £3,500 by throwing a fashion show to fund specialist treatment, while a “Do it for Brooke” campaign raised over £168,584.

Once the government restrictions are lifted, Brooke’s family are planing to continue fundraising, so they can hold a festival in her honour, where everyone who knew her can celebrate her life.