A LOVING grandmother who raised a "sweet and considerate" teenage girl as if she were her own daughter has spoken of her heartbreak after she died of pneumonia just days after arriving home from hospital.

Josie Cotier dealt with more than most children, living with severe learning difficulties and Myopathy, a disease of the muscles.

She grew up in the care of her doting grandparents Doreen and Ronald Hammond.

When Ronald passed away at the age of 72 in 2015, Doreen fell ill with pneumonia and Josie was returned to her birth parents.

Just 18 months later, 14-year-old Josie was found unresponsive in bed at her Clacton home.

An inquest found "serious failings" at Colchester Hospital had led to her death, with Josie passing away just two days after visiting the children's assessment unit.

Upon hearing the news of her beloved granddaughter's death, Doreen, 73, says her world fell apart for the second time in three years.

"It broke my heart when my husband died - we doted on Josie and when he died I didn't think I was going to survive," she said.

"I had pneumonia and spent some time in hospital.

"I carried on, I continued, purely because of Josie.

"We looked after her, cared for her and adored her. "She was the one who kept me going.

"When my husband died, she would say to me when she saw me sad: 'don't worry nanny, don't be sad.'

"She was affectionate and lovely in every way. So when she passed away as well, it just took another big chunk out of me.

"She now lies with my son, who died when he was 31, and next to the plot where my husband is."

When Josie was diagnosed with the muscle condition shortly after her birth, Doreen stayed with her in hospital for around eight months.

Dealt a tough hand at the start of her life, Josie found the close care of her grandparents gave her a degree of independence.

With the help of a wheelchair she had some mobility and went on to happily attend Shorefields School, in Clacton.

"She was well-liked, well-loved," said Doreen.

"She won an award for achievement at school - showing she had the character to deal with her situation.

"She was just a lovely little girl, very considerate and happy.

"She'd always politely say 'good morning' to her teachers when we took her to school.

"At school the teachers spoke very highly of her."

Chelmsford Coroner's Court heard Josie died after serious failings in the care provided by Colchester Hospital.

Drawing a narrative conclusion, area coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray concluded the teenager may have survived had appropriate care and treatment been provided.

Doreen said: "I had her the Sunday on the weekend before she died and I noticed she didn't look right and told my daughter to take her straight to hospital.

"I do partly blame the hospital, it could have been prevented - they were at great fault."