Girl who set 250,000 birthday card record dies

An eight-year-old girl who captured hearts across the world when she achieved her dream of breaking a record for the most birthday cards received has died, her family has said.

Amelia Kolpa, from Rowley Regis in the Black Country, had been receiving palliative care for cancer and had been in and out of hospital since the age of two and a half.

"Our dearest Amelia, you were and always will be our greatest miracle," her mother Katarzyna Bartczak said, in a post on social media.

"For nearly 6 years, she fought with a strength beyond imagination. Every single day, she showed us what true courage looks like."

Amelia's original goal was to have 8,000 cards but thanks to worldwide support of her mission she received more than 250,000, breaking a UK record.

She was sent messages from across the world, including cards from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and United States.

She died at 17:00 GMT on Tuesday, her family said.

"She is no longer suffering. She is no longer in pain. She is in a place where everything is beautiful, peaceful, and full of light," Bartczak added.

Amelia, who had neuroblastoma and was on a waiting list for a clinical trial, also had a bucket list which included making teddy bears for family members that contained voice messages she had recorded, a goal she was able to complete.

In February, hundreds of motorcyclists handed the cards to her for her birthday.

Matthew Lemm, who helped to organise the collection, said he had visited the little girl about half an hour before she died.

"Obviously nobody wanted her to pass away, but we all knew it was inevitable and we all knew the pain that little girl was in," he said.

Knowing her had "glued together" his "broken heart", he added.

"The connection and the bond that me and that little girl had was unmatched," he said in a video post on Facebook.

People in Rowley Regis expressed their sadness at the news, and paid tribute to the girl who had captured everybody's hearts.

Anne Marie Brown explained why she sent a card to Amelia, saying: "It was her wish. If that was my daughter, I'd do absolutely anything she wished for.

"For her mum to do that [was] amazing."

She added: "To bring everybody together like that, it give you that glimmer of hope to say, yes, there is still kindness in the world."

Ann Clift said it was "heartbreaking", adding her story had brought the Black Country community together.

"It's been wonderful in that respect, but obviously very sad."

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