Charlie Smith
A BRITISH baby boy has died suddenly at a Spanish airport before his family were due to catch their flight home.
Five-month-old Ernie Allen-Bryan was the only child of parents Sam and Lee, from Aldridge, who he was with when he suddenly stopped breathing.
His family, who are all Aston Villa fans, have asked the club if they will hold a minute’s applause for Ernie during the Blackburn match on March 30.
“Ernie was such a happy boy, he was always smiling,” said Sam’s brother and Ernie’s uncle, Nick, who lives in Walsall.
“It’s senseless, we’re all pretty powerless in these circumstances, you can’t really find any answers.”
The tot, who already had some of his first teeth, had also gone on holiday with Nick, and his dad John, Ernie’s grandad, with the group due to return on March 5.
The funeral for Ernie will now be held on March 25 at Aldridge Parish and Streetly Crematorium.
Nick added: “We’d all had a fantastic holiday then this unfolded from absolutely nowhere.
“We’ve been putting the order of service together and made the centre a collage of photos.
“All Ernie did was smile, he never seemed to shed a tear.
“I think we’re going to need a cathedral on Monday for his service rather than a church because so many people are coming.
“No one knows why it happened.”
The Sun reported that the family are now having a collection for the Donkey Sanctuary in Sutton Park, where Ernie, whose favourite song is ‘Little Donkey’, spent some time.
