Birmingham's tragic swine flu girl smiled through her agony
The family of Birmingham schoolgirl Sameerah Ahmad, who died after contracting swine flu, has released pictures of her.
Sameerah is shown smiling despite being wheelchair-bound with a medical tube in her nose.
The six-year-old, who was born with a rare and life-threatening disorder affecting her small intestine, died at Birmingham's Children's Hospital on Friday.
Doctors suspect she also suffered from a condition which weakened her bone marrow and immune system, making it difficult for her body to fight infection.
Tests revealed she had contracted swine flu, although it is not yet known if this contributed to her death.
At the opening of an inquest at Birmingham Coroner's Court, Sameerah's father, Imran Ahmad, said his daughter had suffered during her life.
When asked if he wanted a post-mortem examination to be carried out, he replied: "Obviously I do not because she has been through a lot already in her life.
"She has been through a lot, but, if it's the law, it's the law. I cannot do anything about that."
Birmingham and Solihull Coroner Aiden Cotter advised Mr Ahmad that a post-mortem examination was necessary to find out how his daughter died, although it was not strictly a legal requirement.
He said: "It may be that, when we have all the evidence in, we still won't know but it's important we try and find out."
