Fundraiser set up to provide headstone for nine year old Cody, seven years after she died

Cody died aged nine following an asthma attack (Image: Archant)

Cody Taylor, a pupil at Margaret Wix, died in April 2009 following an asthma attack and was buried without a headstone.

To mark what would have been her 16th birthday, family and friends are coming together to raise money in the hope they can finally fund one.

A fundraising page has been set up and an event will take place on Saturday April 2 in an attempt to reach the £2,500 target.

Cody’s mum Lisa Taylor, 37, who lives in the Camp area of St Albans, said: “It would mean everything to me especially as she would be a young lady now.

Family and friends are rallying together to raise money for Cody's headstone (Image: Archant)

“When we go to visit her, we call it her bed, so when we go to visit her in her bed we try keep it nice but it would mean a lot to give her the proper headstone she deserves.”

Cody had suffered with asthma her whole life but her death came as a big shock to the family.

She had an asthma attack and was hospitalised at Watford General, where she was revived after 17 minutes of being unresponsive.

The youngster was then transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital where remained for three days before passing away on April 23 - five days after her birthday.

Cody has three younger brothers, Liam, Kian, and Jackson, and Lisa said they still talk about Cody.

Lisa added: “We talk about her quite a lot. The boys know that if they ever feel upset or miss her they can talk about it with me.

“She wasn’t like any other little girl. She was a real tomboy. She loved wrestling and getting covered in dirt. She loved music and everything in the charts, she was really was old before her time.

“She wasn’t girlie at all but she had this incredible long blonde hair she wouldn’t let me touch!”

The fundraising event, organised by two of Lisa’s friends, will be held at London Road Social Club, starting at 2pm and will run into the evening.

It will begin with a variety of activities including food stalls, a bouncy castle, face painting and a raffle.

A DJ will also be on hand to continue the party into the evening, with an expected finish time of 11pm.

Raffle prizes include various beauty treatments, gift sets, wine, a month’s fitness training among many others.

Lisa continued: “I just really want to say a massive thank you to everyone for all of their support and donations, it really means the world to me and the boys.”

To help the Taylor family reach their £2,500 target click here.