THE treatment of a one-year-old, described as ‘bright, curious, and full of potential’, has been questioned by her family following her death at Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.

The family of Trixie Morvoren Cooke, known affectionately as Trixie Mo, have reflected on the life of their ‘precious daughter’ who brought ‘big smiles to everyone she met’, at an inquest into her death.

In April 2025, Trixie Mo was rushed to hospital in an ambulance after she appeared pale and seemed to go in and out of consciousness, having picked up a cold during a birthday party the day before.

Trixie Mo had an rare birth, known as a ‘mermaid birth’ - which the inquest heard had led to her family giving her the middle name Morvoren, which means mermaid in Cornish.

Despite also being born with a congenital heart defect, Trixie Mo’s mother, Ashleigh told the inquest that her daughter was ‘thriving’.

“She was truly exceptional,” Ashleigh said, expressing that Trixie Mo was a ‘great example’ of what those with Down Syndrome can achieve with the right support.

However, having been rushed to hospital, doctors began assessing what might be the cause of Trixie Mo’s fluctuating episodes. Following numerous failed attempts to cannulate or administer treatment and feeling as though her concerns were ‘not taken seriously’, Ashleigh expressed that she had ‘lost faith in the doctors’.

Speaking at the inquest, she explained how she was repeatedly told that baby Trixie ‘seemed fine in herself’ and was ‘doing much better’ despite Ashleigh expressing concern over her daughter’s wellbeing.

Ashleigh’s partner, and father to Trixie Mo, James also told the court that he felt information was ‘withheld’ from him as a result of the use of jargon, or being left out of conversations. He explained that the situation left him feeling in the dark about the Trixie’s condition.

As the day went on, Trixie Mo’s health deteriorated as doctors and her family seemed unaware of the severity of the situation.

With cannulation unobtainable, leaving vital tests unable to be carried out, Trixie was eventually transferred to the High Dependency Unit (HDU) for further care. However, it was here that she tragically suffered a cardiac arrest, believed to be as a result of her infection, with staff unable to resuscitate her.

Trixie Mo’s death shattered the lives of her family, with her mother tearfully describing how she misses her ‘so deeply every single day’. However, their experiences have also left her family questioning the treatment Trixie received.

Ashleigh expressed her concern in court about the seniority of the staff who were attempting to implement a cannula, stating that more could have been done to assess the severity of her daughter’s condition, including the use of an ultrasound during the process and the advanced implementation of intraosseous cannulation.

However, Dr Nichols, paediatric consultant at Royal Cornwall Hospital, among other medical professionals, explained that Trixie Mo’s presentation masked her condition, something which, when paired with limited test results, prevented further action being taken.

Mr Andrew Cox, senior coroner for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is expected to record the cause of death during a final hearing later today.