What happened to Coleen Rooney’s late sister Rosie? Heartbreaking family story

Coleen Rooney’s explosive Disney+ documentary, Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story, addresses the behind-the-scenes situation during the Rebekah Vardy drama. But as well as this topic, the programme shone a light on Coleen’s late sister Rosie, who passed away aged 14 in 2013.

What condition did Coleen Rooney’s sister have?

Rosie, who Coleen’s parents fostered, had a life-long battle with Rett syndrome. The NHS explains this is “a rare genetic disorder that affects brain development, resulting in severe mental and physical disability”. 1 in 10,000 girls are affected each year.

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What has Coleen Rooney said about her late sister?

Speaking in the documentary about caring for Rosie, Coleen said: “I used to do her hair and used to love picking clothes with me mum for her. She brought that little bit extra to the house. We fell in love with her.

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“Rosie, she struggled. She couldn’t walk and talk and would be in pain and sick but she still put a smile on her face.”

Through the tears, Coleen said: “To lose a child is the worst thing that could ever happen to anyone but when you look back now she gave us so many good years of happiness and love.”

At the time of Rosie’s passing, Wayne and Coleen released a statement on behalf of their family. “Throughout her life, she brought so much love and happiness to all our family and everyone who knew and met her. She was such a strong little girl and an inspiration to us all,” it read.

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“We shall cherish forever the memories we have shared and the love she showed us each and every day of her life. As a family we are heartbroken, but we are blessed to have had her in our lives.”

REVIEW: I just watched Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story – and these are my honest thoughts

In 2017, Coleen marked what would have been Rosie’s 19th birthday. she posted a photo of her younger sister in a wheelchair and captioned it: “Happy Birthday to our Angel Rosie.”

Just a month ago, the mother-of-four shared a throwback photo of herself with her mum and Rosie in a pool. Fans left lots of love hearts and supportive messages in the comments section.

DISCOVER: Coleen and Wayne Rooney’s heartache over £20million Cheshire home – details 

The hotly anticipated documentary contains lots of revelations including the fact Coleen was papped at just age 16 when she was still at school and she also struggled with life in the US when she was forced to up sticks for Wayne’s career. Discover more bombshells in our full article.