Anya and Hugo Sousa, from Sheffield, have shared the tragic story of their 16-month-old son Leonardo, known as Leo, who died suddenly on January 1, 2024, after appearing to have only a mild cold. A post-mortem examination later revealed Streptococcus A (Strep A) in his blood.
Anya, 41, a beauty therapist, described Leo as a "very easy and happy baby." Hugo, 45, a restaurant manager originally from Portugal, recalled that Leo "always wanted to cuddle." The family, including their daughter Sienna, now six, had recently returned from a Christmas holiday in Portugal and all had cold-like symptoms.
Events Leading to the Tragedy
On New Year's Eve, the family went to the park. Anya noticed Leo was "a bit quiet." Hugo played hide and seek with him until 3pm when he left for work. That evening, Leo vomited after dinner, which Anya attributed to his cold. She gave him milk later and he seemed fine. He had no fever.
The next morning, Anya dropped Leo and Sienna off with her mother, Diane Middleton, warning her they had all been ill. Diane put the children to bed as normal. At 8am on January 1, Sienna came to Diane and said she could not wake Leo up. Diane found him not breathing and cold, and called emergency services, who instructed her to perform CPR.
Discovery and Aftermath
Anya and Hugo received a call and arrived within 10 minutes to find the road cordoned off and Leo already in an ambulance. Hugo said, "I didn't know what to do, so I just froze." Anya added, "I remember being next to my son and I've never seen a dead body before, let alone my own child." Police took them to the hospital, where they saw Leo again. Anya said, "They asked if I wanted to hold my baby and I did, but then I completely freaked out."
Hugo described telling family as "broken" because they were "screaming on the phone." An initial post-mortem found no obvious cause like choking or heart problems. Five months later, in May 2024, a coroner's report found Streptococcus A in Leo's blood. A pathologist told Anya, "He should have been a lot more ill – there should have been a lot more symptoms."
Fundraising for SUDC UK
After Leo's death, the couple learned about SUDC UK, a charity supporting families affected by sudden unexpected child death. They received counselling and met other bereaved parents, which Anya found "really helpful." Two years later, they decided to fundraise by completing a 50km Ultra Challenge Walk in the Peak District on July 4, 2026.
Anya said the walk was a "real struggle" and "emotional," especially while carrying Leo's favourite Mickey Mouse teddy. They crossed the finish line wearing T-shirts with Leo's face. Hugo said, "I just looked to the sky and said, 'I love you'." The couple, along with six friends and family, raised over £10,000 for SUDC UK.
Raising Awareness
Anya emphasized, "We did this to support other families that are affected. I think the main thing we want to do is to raise awareness, increase funding for research, and for more people to know that support is there." The family hopes their story will help prevent other tragedies and provide comfort to those who have experienced similar loss.
