An overwhelmed mum has spoken of her joy after finding footage of her daughter playing with school friends – 37 YEARS after she died.
June Jones, 78, said it was a Mother’s Day miracle after her son came across the heart-wrenching video of her six-year-old daughter Kerry by chance.
The grainy clip from 1978 shows the youngster skipping in the playground and disappearing over a hill as she happily plays with classmates.
But just two years after the footage was filmed at Wilnecote Junior School, in Tamworth, Staffs., Kerry tragically died of a brain tumour, aged eight.
Today June said she was overcome with emotion after seeing her little girl’s face again – almost four decades after her death.
Fighting back tears, she added: “When I first saw her l just started crying – it really hit me hard. I kept saying ‘that’s my little girl, that’s my little girl’.
‘I actually can’t believe I got to see her again, especially when she looked so happy with her friends.
“My son’s friend had shared it on Facebook – it was just a complete coincidence that he watched it and managed to recognise his little sister.
“Being so close to Mother’s Day, it couldn’t have happened at a more perfect time – it was fate.
“My precious little girl wanted me to know she was still here.
‘It’s a Mother’s Day miracle. ‘I think that’s why it happened. It’s the best gift ever.
”I can’t believe the footage is online. l’m just so thankful that someone managed to capture this footage -they have made me so happy.”
Kerry passed away on June 17, 1980 after she was left hospitalised from a brain tumour doctors had dismissed as “growing pains.”
June, who has five other children Lynne, 56, Mandy, 52, Darren, 50, David, 47, and Carol 48, added: “I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
“It was truly awful. She had been complaining of headaches for around four weeks but doctors thought it was growing pains and gave her junior disprin.
“One night she came into our bedroom in agony, saying ‘mummy my head really hurts.’
“She was rushed to hospital the next day and they operated but sadly nothing could be done to save her.
“We were heartbroken so this footage just provides me with happy memories.
“I shed a tear every time I watch it – but they are happy tears.”
Tragically, June’s husband Dennis, a brick maker, also died from a brain tumour around 11 years ago aged 67.
Their son Darren found the archived footage on Youtube entitled ‘The Wilnecote Schools 1978’ earlier this week.
He said: “When I saw it I couldn’t believe it. At first I didn’t want to believe what I saw.
“Because the quality isn’t the best, it makes you second-guess yourself.
“But after watching it five or six times l just knew it was her.
”It was so emotional. To see this little girl smiling and playing happily with her friends was absolutely wonderful.
“Almost 40 years later, and just before Mother’s Day. we all get to see her again.
“It’s perfect.”
