Melissa Mae Carlton and her husband, Tom Carlton, are enduring an unimaginable loss after losing both of their daughters within a single year. Their youngest child, Molly Carlton, passed away on Christmas morning, following the death of her older sister, Abigail Carlton, just months earlier. Melissa shared the news publicly, expressing deep sorrow while holding tightly to her faith.

Abigail died in April 2024 at the age of nine due to complications from sepsis, a sudden loss that left the family searching for answers. In the months that followed, Molly often spoke about missing her sister, asking when they would be together again—words that now echo with heartbreaking significance.

After Molly’s passing, doctors began to suspect an underlying genetic heart condition that may have contributed to both deaths. While new information emerged through further monitoring, it came too late to alter the outcome. Medical teams indicated that Molly’s cardiac event was likely unsurvivable despite prompt care.

In the face of layered grief, Melissa has chosen to speak out not for attention, but to raise awareness about sudden childhood deaths and to support other grieving families. As future Christmases arrive, the Carlton family honors Abigail and Molly through faith, memory, and love—carrying forward with quiet strength in a home forever changed.