A TWO-YEAR-OLD girl has died after being struck down by a brain tumour when she returned to Blackburn with relatives for a family reunion.

Lucie Patrick became ill after flying into Britain with her mum and sister to visit family and friends.

Doctors battled to keep her alive as her father dashed from Saudi Arabia to say a final goodbye at her hospital bedside.

Lucie lived in Saudi Arabia with her parents Rob and Jan and older sister Robyn but returned twice a year to visit her grandparents in Blackburn.

The tot, who was staying with her grandparents in Lammack Road, died less than three days after being taken into hospital.

The youngster was born with hydrocephalus, or water on the brain, and was premature. She battled back to full health after a life-saving operation and her parents believed their daughter's health problems were a thing of the past.

Mrs Patrick said: "When I found out Lucie had hydrocephalus I had to get a plane back to England because I wouldn't have got the same medical treatment in Saudi. "I thought we had been through everything with Lucie and I never imagined anything like this would happen.

"Lucie had not been well all month with one thing and another but over the last week she had been getting sicker.

"She went into hospital last Thursday and all the nurses thought it would be something minor. She had a brain scan and 20 minutes later the doctors were telling me she had a tumour which they were unable to treat."

Jan Patrick then had the heartbreaking job of telling her husband, who works as an engineer.

She said: "At first Rob wouldn't believe me but I told him to get a flight out of Saudi as soon as possible.

"The authorities did everything to help and Rob even got a police escort from the airport to the hospital.

"Lucie was in a coma and the doctors did everything they could to keep her alive until Rob got here.

"I am glad they did because it was important for Rob to say goodbye to Lucie."

She added: "We wanted to donate her organs but because Lucie had a malignant tumour the hospital said it was too much of a risk for other patients.

"She was such such a lovely little girl and it just makes me smile when I remember her. She was very mischievous and full of life.

"The whole family is devastated, for the first two days we were too upset to even talk.

"Everything happened so quickly we are still all in shock and what has happened hasn't really sunk in yet."

A service is taking place at Revidge Fold United Reformed Church on Friday. Lucie will then be buried at St Wilfrid's Church in Ribchester.

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