Raising four children at the age of 18: Daughter who promised her late mother she'd 'look after the little ones' is now official guardian of her siblings

Party-loving student Carrieanne Ainsworth never imagined that she would be responsible for four children at just 18-years-old.
But, since the death of her mother last month, the student beautician has been bringing up her younger siblings Duane, 13, Tyler, nine, Aimee, seven, and five-month-old Mia-Grace.
Their mother Lynn died on February 7 when she was found having mysteriously collapsed next to her baby's cot.

Carrieanne Ainsworth has suddenly become a guardian of four kids after her mum suddenly died. Pictured with Duane (13), Tyler (9), Aimee (7) and Mia aged 5 months

Carrieanne, from Bolton, told The People: ‘We were always her [my mother’s] top priority. She said I had to Promise to look after the little ones if anything ever happened to her. So that's my gift to my mum this year.’

 

Carrieanne was staying at her boyfriend’s house when she received a terrified call from younger brother Duane telling her the news of their mother’s death.
She rushed to their house but found it surrounded by police: ‘I kept screaming for mum. But they wouldn't let me in. Duane was so brave - he had bundled the little ones up and took them outside just in case there was someone in the house who had hurt mum.’

Carrieanne's mum Lynn with Aimee and baby Mia who was kept in intensive care after birth

Lynn is thought to have been attempting to feed Mia when she collapsed next to her cot. The family have yet to find closure after the post-mortom was found inconclusive.
Mother-of-seven Lynn had told Carrieanne that in the event of her death she should be responsible for the younger siblings and had recently even, coincidentally, told her which songs she would like played at her funeral - Savage Garden's Truly Madly Deeply, Leona Lewis's Run and Mad World by Gary Jules.
She now wakes up at 6am and goes to bed by 10pm to ensure that the children are up and prepared for their day at school but Carrieanne admitted that the hardest part is juggling her own grief, with that of her siblings.

Carrieanne has given up her student lifestyle to care for her siblings but hopes to return to her course next term

Carrieanne has abandoned her party lifestyle and said she now doesn’t plan to have children of her own but older sisters Stevie, 23 and Jodie, 22, who have families of their own, have said they will help as much as they can so that she can return to college.
Carrieanne said: ‘I want the absolute best for them. We try to have fun to take our minds off things. We have the odd carvery dinner and I take them on days out. I'm going to continue my training at Bolton College - mum would have killed me if I quit.’