Headstone appeal total doubles for tragic Spalding baby Ellie-May Payne

Spalding people are rallying round to support the teenage parents who launched a £2,500 appeal to buy a special headstone for their baby girl, Ellie-May Grace Payne.
Teenage parents Emily Park and Ryan Payne with the baby daughter who meant the world to them. ANL-160308-134321001Teenage parents Emily Park and Ryan Payne with the baby daughter who meant the world to them. ANL-160308-134321001
Teenage parents Emily Park and Ryan Payne with the baby daughter who meant the world to them. ANL-160308-134321001

The tot died at home in Spalding in the early hours of Saturday, July 30.

Her heartbroken dad Ryan Payne (19) and mum Emily Park (17) still don’t know why Ellie-May died, as the planned post mortem examination has been postponed to Thursday of this week.

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The couple, who are living a day at a time, have drawn great comfort from the many generous people who have supported their appeal to buy a Me to You Bears headstone for Ellie-May’s grave, which will be in Spalding Cemetery.

No date has been fixed yet for the funeral service.

Last week more than £700 was raised for the headstone appeal by 57 people donating on a gofundme site in two days.

Yesterday (Monday) the total had more than doubled to £1,465 – thanks to donations given by 95 people over the seven days since the appeal started.

Ryan said: “We want to say a massive “thank you” to the people who have given.

“It’s been a great help.”

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The appeal on the gofundme site is set up so that people can share it with their friends on Facebook.

“We would like people to keep sharing it,” said Ryan.

He works as a window fitter and Emily is about to start a college course.

Ryan says they are trying to cope at the moment by “just keeping ourselves occupied”.

• As we reported in our sister paper, the Spalding Guardian, Ryan found his baby daughter cold and not breathing at about 1.30am.

The couple and ambulance paramedics were unable to save her.

You can donate on www.gofundme.com/2ha2a3pm

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