A disabled teenager from Chatham has died with her family at her side.

Gemma Shipley, 16, of Hopewell Drive, passed away yesterday (Wednesday) after her condition worsened at Medway Maritime Hospital.

Gemma had a rare genetic disorder called Trisomy 9.

It left her with multiple disabilities and specialists did not expect her to live past the age of three.

She was unable to walk and was half blind and deaf.

She also had a hole in her heart, a spinal deformity and collapsed lungs.

Her heartbroken mum, Diane, 39, said: “Her dad Henry, sisters Joanna and Rachel and I were there when her heart stopped.

“She was able to squeeze her dads hand before she passed away.

“Gemma had been through so much and lived a lot longer than any other child with the condition.

“We are thankful we were with her at the end, she’d been in hospital for several days and we thought she might have been getting better, but we were called in by the nursing staff, after her condition deteriorated. “

For the full story see Monday’s edition of Medway Messenger.