Coleen Rooney has paid a heartfelt tribute to her sister on the anniversary of her death. Rosie McLoughlin died aged 14 in 2013 after a lifelong battle with rare brain disorder, Rett syndrome, which causes severe disabilities.
Coleen’s family adopted Rosie after they initially fostered her aged two and then she become a part of the family. The 39-year-old has taken to Instagram today to mark 13 years since her sad death. She shared a snap of Rosie, alongside the caption: “Another year since you left us Rosie. Keep watching over us.”
Former UFC fighter Molly McCann was one of many to to take to the comments to share a message of support after the update as she shared a series of heart emojis.
A follower named Christina said: “Sending love.” Chris added: “Beautiful girl with a beautiful smile.” Coleen’s I’m A Celeb co-star Alan Halsall liked the post, as did former Coronation Street Brooke Vincent.
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Coleen has opened up one the impact of Rosie’s death in a number of interviews. Speaking on the Fearne Cotton Happy Place podcast in 2024, Coleen said Rosie’s diagnosis prepared the family for the worst, but her death still had a devastating impact.
She said: “[The diagnosis] prepares you in a way. She had bad stints before that where she’d been in hospital. But she battled through it and she came out. A number of Christmases we spent in hospital. Her immune system went down in winter, she got chest infections.
“It was a hard family situation because you don’t want to spend your Christmas in hospital but we done anything for her. No matter what, we were there.
“Knowing doesn’t take away the pain but it can help prepare yourself in a way that you know it’s going to happen. It’s going to happen to everyone, but at that early age it was hard to accept”
Coleen said her parents tried to stay strong after Rosie’s passing, but the whole family were heartbroken after the sad death. On how her parents coped, she added: “They struggled.
“They’ve always out a brave face on for everyone else, but the amount of times, I’ve heard them crying going to bed at night and it’s not nice to hear.
“But that’s when they’re releasing their sorrows. They did have bereavement counselling and that was all through the hospice they went through. She added: “It’s hard to lose anyone, but a child, that’s even harder.”