Melissa Mae Carlton Shares Heartbreaking Update After Daughter’s Death

27 December 2025

Melissa Mae Carlton, the social media influencer known for sharing moments of motherhood, creativity and faith with her followers, has endured an unimaginable journey of grief in recent years as she publicly navigates the loss of both of her young daughters in the space of just over a year. The pain of losing a child is something few can truly comprehend and for Carlton, the heartbreak struck not once but twice. On Christmas Day 2025 her youngest daughter, Molly, died unexpectedly at a hospital surrounded by her family. This devastating loss came only a little more than a year after her older daughter, Abigail, passed away in April 2024 after a battle with sepsis, leaving Carlton, her husband Tom and their broader family in deep mourning and searching for answers amid heartbreak.

In a heartfelt message posted on Instagram following Molly’s passing, Carlton shared with her followers the depth of her grief, describing the shock, disbelief and sorrow that has filled her life since that morning on December 25. She wrote that the comfort she and her husband draw from these painful moments stems from the thought of her daughters reunited, recalling Molly’s profound sadness at missing her older sister Abigail while she was alive. In posts now shared widely across social platforms, Carlton admitted she still felt numb and overwhelmed by the reality of losing Molly, a child whose gentle spirit and affectionate nature endeared her to family, friends and followers alike. This tragic reunion in heaven, as she described it, offers the only slight light in a time filled with trauma and heartbreak.

Molly’s death was sudden and unexpected. In an update shared amid what she described as speculation surrounding the circumstances of her daughter’s passing, Carlton revealed that doctors now believe Molly had an underlying genetic heart condition. This suspected condition may have also played a role in her older daughter Abigail’s death, although Abigail’s cause of death was previously identified as sepsis. Doctors explained to the family that even a minor illness could trigger a sudden cardiac event in someone with such a condition, and while Molly was monitored in a hospital setting when she became ill, her little body fought as hard as it could before she ultimately passed. For the Carltons, the possibility of a genetic link provides some answers they did not have after Abigail’s death, and opens a path for further investigation for the family, though it cannot erase the pain of their loss.

Before Molly’s passing, Carlton had already been open about how deeply she and her family felt the absence of Abigail, who died at the age of nine after a sudden and severe illness. At the time of Abigail’s death, she and her husband shared their devastation with followers, expressing gratitude that their daughter had been surrounded by loved ones even as they described the void her passing left in their lives. Their willingness to share such deeply personal and painful moments resonated with many of their followers, who offered sympathy and support, acknowledging the raw human experience of losing a child.

The series of losses has understandably shaken the Carlton family. In sharing these experiences publicly, Melissa Mae Carlton has also voiced her hope that by speaking openly about Molly’s suspected genetic heart condition and the tragedy that befell her family, other parents and caregivers might find greater awareness or even answers in similar situations. She has expressed a desire for the family’s ongoing genetic investigations to yield insights that could help other families navigating the sudden and unexpected death of children, a topic that encompasses medical, emotional and community support challenges that are often fraught and painful.

In her social media reflections, Carlton has not only chronicled the sorrow and confusion of losing her daughters but also shared moments of comfort, faith and solidarity with her followers. The story she has told through words and photos resonates with an audience that has followed her life not just for its joyful moments but for its real and vulnerable ones. Followers have responded with an outpouring of empathy, prayers and support, underscoring the communal nature of grieving in an age where personal and public life often intersect.

As Melissa, Tom and their children including their other children Harry and Lily work through their grief, they continue to lean on each other and the support of their community. In describing the events leading up to Molly’s death, including how she missed her sister Abigail and often spoke of being reunited with her, Carlton’s words have painted a picture of a family bound by love, memory and the individual personalities of children gone far too soon. It is a narrative that speaks not only to loss but to the enduring strength of familial bonds even in the darkest moments.

Ultimately, Carlton’s public update on her youngest daughter’s death is a reminder of the fragility of life and the compassion that arises when a family shares its truth in times of profound tragedy. While the mystery of Molly and Abigail’s deaths continues to unfold through medical investigation, the emotional reality that Carlton and her family face remains deeply human and universally poignant, and their story continues to evoke both sympathy and reflection among those who have witnessed it.