Influencer and “faith & grief” content creator Melissa Mae Carlton recently shared that her young daughter Molly Carlton died suddenly on Christmas Day 2025 while the family was traveling.

What happened to Molly?

  • Melissa announced on social media that Molly died unexpectedly on December 25, 2025, turning the family’s holiday trip into a tragedy.
  • This loss comes less than two years after the death of Molly’s older sister, Abigail (Abi), who died in April 2024 at age 9 after developing sepsis.

Reported cause and medical update

  • In a follow-up “medical update,” Melissa said doctors believe Molly had a genetic heart condition , and they now suspect the same condition may have been involved in Abi’s death as well.
  • For Abi, the illness progressed so quickly that doctors did not have time to fully evaluate her, but Molly was monitored in hospital, which gave the family more medical information this time.

Family’s situation and public reaction

  • The Carlton family, who are Canadian but were in the U.S. for the holidays, have been described by friends and media outlets as “devastated, in disbelief, and in shock” as they grieve the loss of a second child.
  • Supporters, church communities, and followers have been sharing condolences, prayers, and financial help through fundraisers for funeral costs and to help bring Molly’s body home.

How Melissa describes Molly and Abi

  • Melissa has written that the only small comfort she feels is believing that Molly and Abi are now “reunited,” and that Molly had deeply missed her sister and often talked about seeing her again.
  • She has also expressed hopes that sharing her daughters’ stories and the suspected genetic heart condition might help other families affected by sudden unexpected death in children (SUDC).

TL;DR:
Molly Carlton, the young daughter of influencer Melissa Mae Carlton, died suddenly on Christmas Day 2025, with doctors suspecting a genetic heart condition, and this tragedy comes just over a year after the death of her older sister Abi from sepsis.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.