New Zealand-born influencer Veruca Salt has shared a heartbreaking snippet of the funeral service for her baby boy, who died at a month old just two weeks prior.
The Gold Coast-based content creator, real name Kimberley Summer Hartley, gave birth to her son Cash Harrison Stirling on December 19, 2023.
Earlier this month, the 25-year-old revealed in a candid update on Instagram that her six-week-old baby had died in his sleep the previous morning.
"It is with a heavy heart that I'm writing this. My baby died in his sleep on Monday morning [February 5]," she wrote on her Instagram Story at the time. "I don't know what happened, he is having an autopsy this week but it is unlikely that I'll ever have an answer.
"I'm just saying this because people are still commenting on my TikToks saying how happy I look with him and 'just wait for the toddler stage' and stuff, and I really can't take it anymore. I'm really sorry."
In an emotional tribute to Cash on Monday, Hartley shared a small glimpse into the funeral service with her followers on TikTok, captioning the footage: "I'll miss him forever. Everything I do will always be for him."
Set to Taylor Swift's ballad 'Long Live', the video captured several moments of the service including the toy-laden hearse, a spread of fairy bread and cake, and black and white balloons being released into the air. In one brief clip, Hartley can be seen being consoled by several loved ones.
A board at the service was also shown, featuring a photo of Cash with the words: "Forever dancing with the fruits."
Hartley's fans were quick to offer their condolences and words of support in the comments, with one writing to the bereaved mum: "If I could take off even just minutes of my life to give you more time with him, I would in a heartbeat."
The 25-year-old had documented snippets of her life as a new parent, with many of her videos amassing millions of views.
She has been candid with her followers about her grief, sharing over the weekend that she had been spending time with her baby ahead of the funeral.
"I know your worried about me but my baby is back in his room for a few days before his funeral and I'll be spending time with him instead of being online, thank you," she captioned one clip.
"When my baby was born I woke up happy every single day. Not neutral. Happy," she wrote in another video.
"The anger, bitterness and comparison to other people is coming back 1000x worse than before and I hate it. The universe gave me a taste of what life feels like when it's amazing and it makes the pain feel so much worse."
On February 10, the Courier Mail reported that Queensland Police were investigating Cash's sleeping arrangements as they looked into the circumstances of his death.
Detectives have said the death was not suspicious and a report is being prepared for the state coroner.
