A MOTHER is desperate for answers after finding her 12-year-old daughter dead in her bed.

Tia Boyd had complained of feeling mildly unwell, so her mum, Andrea Alcock, tucked her up in bed earlier than usual.

The following morning, the 36-year-old went upstairs and found her daughter's lifeless body, covered in purple blotches.

She dialled 999 and paramedics rushed Tia to hospital, where doctors broke the terrible news.

Experts have been unable to explain the cause of Tia's sudden and unexpected death, despite carrying out a postmortem examination.

Andrea said: "I'll never forget that morning. She was covered in big purple blotches and she wasn't moving. I couldn't feel her pulse – she wasn't breathing."

Tia's death is a second loss for Andrea, whose partner, Craig Boyd, hanged himself in a police cell in Derby in 2004.

On the evening Tia started to feel unwell, she had sent a text message to Andrea, who was at a friend's house, asking her to telephone their home in Mapleton Avenue, Chaddesden.

Andrea said: "I went home and she was at the door waving.

"She said she was going to go to bed because she didn't feel too good. She was never at the doctor's, she was never ill."

Soon afterwards, Andrea went upstairs to check on Tia, who was still awake and seemed lethargic but told her mum she was not in any pain.

Andrea said: "I tucked her in, gave her a kiss and told her I loved her."

The following morning, Andrea got up, made coffee and then went upstairs to check on Tia. It was then she made the terrible discovery.

"I freaked out," she said. "I rang 999, I was banging on my neighbour's door, screaming.

"I knew she was dead in my heart – I'm her mum."

Paramedics took Tia and Andrea to Derbyshire Royal Infirmary in separate vehicles.

A team of medics in the casualty department surrounded Tia's bed and tried in vain to revive her.

Andrea said: "I knew they were going to pronounce her dead.

"They really did try to help her, you could see it in their faces. They were fantastic.

"Then the doctor looked at me and said 'I'm so sorry'."

To help her cope with the loss, Andrea has filled her home with tributes and memories of Tia.

Wreaths from her funeral in the shape of hearts, with Tia's name, adorn the front garden.

Inside, Andrea has filled a large chest with her daughter's clothes – a favourite pair of trainers, her PE kit, and the school uniform she should have worn the day she died.

The chest also contains Tia's handprint and footprint, taken at the hospital following her death.

Andrea said: "I can't part with her. It doesn't seem real. I feel like I can't breathe properly.

"Tia loved her life and was happy all the time."

Pathologists are now carrying out further tests on her body in an effort to establish the cause of her death on May 12.

Andrea said: "I just want an answer, a reason why she didn't wake up that morning. She was my life."

Tia was a pupil at da Vinci Community College. She enjoyed spending time with her friends, visiting social-networking sites such as Bebo on the internet and listening to music on her mobile phone.

Andrea said: "Her phone was stuck to her like glue.

"She'd get up in the morning, her hair everywhere and I'd laugh at her, then she'd go and put her make-up on and she'd have her phone with her."

Andrea chose to do her daughter's make-up herself for the funeral, which was held at St Philip's Church in Chaddesden.

Andrea said: "The church was packed and everyone wore black and pink because Tia loved those colours."

Tia left two brothers, Harry, nine, and Thomas, 15.

Andrea said: "My eldest is staying away from home for now because he's terrified of being in the house where she died.

"Harry has his moments where he breaks down and cries. They were really close, those two.

"I'm still not over Craig's death. I keep saying to myself, 'they took Craig away, now they've taken Tia away'. I can't believe my little girl is gone, she never did anything wrong, she never hurt anybody."