School opens garden in memory of former pupil

Arabella Sturgeon died after a battle with leukaemia

A primary school has opened a memorial garden in honour of a seven-year-old former pupil who passed away after a battle with leukaemia.

The garden at Brackenfield School in Harrogate was opened this week in memory of Arabella Sturgeon, who died in February from complications related to a stem cell transplant.

Arabella's mum, Natalie Sadler, said she wanted the garden to be a place where her daughter's peers and teachers could "come and sit and be quiet or do some crafting or just remember Arabella".

She said: "This school's been such a huge support for us. It's so wonderful that [Arabella's] legacy is continuing and carrying on."

The memorial garden was opened at Brackenfield School in Harrogate

Ms Sadler described her daughter as someone who "would light up any room she went into" and "didn't care what anybody thought".

She added: "She would dance like no-one was watching, she was there for her friends, she was kind.

"She was unapologetically Arabella."

Headteacher at Brackenfield, Joe Masterson, said the school community took part in a ceremony to open the garden and celebrate Arabella's life, which saw students sing songs and read poems.

Speaking at the ceremony on Thursday, he said: "Although today was tinged with sadness there was also a lot of happiness."

Ms Sadler has also headed up a fundraising campaign for charity Cure Leukaemia since Arabella's death, having already raised more than £13,000.

Bhupinder Dhillon from the charity, who attended the garden opening, said the funding would go towards world-first trials targeted at blood cancer in children.

Gemma Hathaway, also from Cure Leukaemia, said: "Blood cancer actually isn't rare in children, four children a day are diagnosed with blood cancer."

She said the funding would also go towards the launch of the charity's ATICUS (Accelerating Trials in Children Undergoing Stem Cell Transplant) Network in Leeds.

The network connects children with blood cancer across the UK with leading children's hospitals to "revolutionise clinical trial access" and prevent future deaths from the disease.

Ms Hathaway said: "While it's an absolute honour to be here, we don't want to be here - it's another life lost far, far, far too young."

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