Mya-Lecia Naylor’s dad pays emotional tribute on tragic CBBC star’s 18th

Mya-Lecia Naylor's father has paid an emotional tribute to the CBBC star on what would have been her 18th birthday.

The actress tragically died on April 7, 2019, when she was just 16 years old.

Her mother Zena Beggs, 46, had found her hanged at her home in South Norwood, London, and she was taken to hospital but sadly pronounced dead soon after.

Paying tribute on her 18th, her dad Martin Naylor shared a beautiful photograph of his little girl.

He penned: "18 today. Miss you and love you more every day! Fly high baby girl #missumya"

Mya was due to sit her GCSE exams when she tragically died.

She was known for her role in CBBC show Almost Never, in which she appeared alongside stars including Emily Atack, Fleur East and Tess Daly.

She also played Fran in CBBC show Millie Inbetween, a drama that told the story of a young girl coming to term with her parents' divorce.

Mya also appeared in ITV's Tati's Hotel, movie Cloud Atlas and in sitcom Absolutely Fabulous way back in 20014 as Edina's granddaughter Jane.

Emergency services were called to her family's home on April 7, last year, at around 10am to reports of a teenage girl in cardiac arrest.

She was pronounced dead at Croydon University Hospital shortly after 11.30am.

Dad Martin said at her inquest at South London Coroner's Court that his daughter had been having a difficult time.

He said: "She had not been her normal self ... she was stressed about her exams.

"She knew she needed to get on with her revision and she had plans scheduled out for her revision."

He saw his daughter on the morning of her death and said he felt what happened had been a "silly mistake".

He said: "I honestly believe she was just making some sort of point. I genuinely believe she did not mean to do it. It was a silly spur of the moment thing. She clearly had plans for the future."

The inquest heard that Mya and her family had watched a movie the night before her death which included a scene of suicide.

Assistant coroner Toby Watkin asked Mr Naylor: "I believe in the statement there is a fear the movie you watched may have had something relevant?"

Mr Naylor responded: "They were watching a cartoon. I'm not sure what it was as my wife wrote the statement."

He was asked if the movie contained a scene in which someone took their own life, but said he could not confirm it as he had fallen asleep.

He added: "At 7.30, I got up for a run. Mya had come out from the bathroom and I could tell she was not happy. She pushed past as teens do, and I just thought it was a moody morning.

"She wasn't a moody teenager at all. She would joke about being moody, normally."

Her mother found her hanging just a couple of hours later.

Her father said he did not believe she would see something and want to reenact it, and that she had never talked about harming herself.

The coroner said that Mya "did not intend to end her own life" and concluded her death as misadventure.

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