Anya Sousa, 41, and her husband Hugo Sousa, 45, from Sheffield, have described the sudden death of their 16-month-old son Leonardo, known as Leo, as their "worst nightmare." Leo died in his sleep on January 1, 2024, after showing only mild cold-like symptoms, including a runny nose and low energy.
Family's ordeal
Anya, a beauty therapist, recalled that the entire family had been suffering from colds after returning from a holiday in Portugal. She attributed Leo's lethargy to being "under the weather." On the evening of December 31, 2023, Anya dropped Leo and his sister Sienna, now six, at her mother Diane Middleton's house. Diane settled the children to sleep as usual.
The next morning, Sienna approached her grandmother saying she could not "wake Leo up." Diane found Leo "not breathing and cold" and immediately called emergency services, who instructed her to perform CPR. Anya and Hugo were contacted and arrived within 10 minutes to find the road sealed 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."
Medical findings
A full post-mortem examination in May 2024 revealed traces of Streptococcus A (Strep A) in Leo's blood. According to the NHS, Strep A symptoms are usually mild, including flu-like symptoms, sore throat, and rash, but can occasionally develop into a serious invasive infection. A pathologist told Anya, "He should have been a lot more ill – there should have been a lot more symptoms."
Leo's birth on August 15, 2022, had been "absolutely fine," though he contracted a staph infection within a couple of months, requiring antibiotics and triggering eczema. Despite this, he remained a "happy baby."
Fundraising for awareness
Two years after Leo's death, Anya and Hugo felt ready to raise funds for Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC UK), a charity supporting families affected by sudden child death. On July 4, 2026, they completed a 50km Ultra Challenge Walk in the Peak District, raising over £10,000. Anya carried Leo's beloved Mickey Mouse teddy throughout the route. Hugo said, "I just looked to the sky and said, 'I love you.'"
The couple, along with six friends and family members, wore matching T-shirts bearing Leo's face. Anya said, "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."
Ongoing impact
Anya described the lasting trauma: "The walk up to her bedroom is horrendous even today because you're not going up to wake her up with kisses and cuddles, you're going up to see if she's still alive. No parents should have to do that." Hugo added, "This was my worst nightmare."
