Police investigate after 12-year-old girl found dead at Coomera home

She was the miracle girl with a rare genetic disorder who kept defying doctors and health experts who said she wouldn’t live past the age of four, but the 12-year-old Gold Coast girl’s unexplained death has sparked a police investigation.

She was the miracle girl who kept beating the odds, but the death of a Gold Coast 12-year-old born with a rare genetic disorder has sparked a police investigation.

Tiffany Scholten died at her Coomera home on Monday, with the quiet suburban street left swarming with police and forensic crews over the past two days.

Police found “no obvious cause of death” and are now waiting for preliminary results of a post-mortem examination to determine whether or not Tiffy finally succumbed to her debilitating illness.

The Courier-Mail understands Tiffy suffered from a number of medical issues, including the extremely rare condition Rett Syndrome, which can take form in varying degrees of severity.

Rett Syndrome typically affects movement, coordination and growth, often leading to seizures and other medical problems.

It is more common in girls than males, but boys often develop a more severe form and often die in their infancy.

A crime scene has been established after a 12-year-old girl was found dead at a home in Coomera. Picture: Jeremy Pierce

Some people born with the disorder can live almost normal lives, but it is understood Tiffy had a severe form and her family had been told she might not live beyond four years of age.

However, she continued to defy doctors and health experts, learning mobility and communication skills and even started school.

Originally from a tight-knit community interstate, the girl and her family relocated to the Gold Coast several years ago where they lived in a quiet Coomera street.

But Tiffy’s brave battle ended in tragedy on Monday, with police called to the home about 8pm.

A Facebook image of Tiffany Scholten from 2014

The young girl was found unresponsive and could not be revived.

Residents on the street told The Courier-Mail they regularly saw the girl’s siblings riding bikes around the neighbourhood, but the 12-year-old was not often seen outside the house.

Carers and health workers were often at the property.

The Child Protection Investigation Unit has opened an investigation into her death, with detectives and forensic crews at the home on Wednesday.

Early medical examinations into her death are expected to be completely shortly, but other processes, including toxicology, could take several weeks.

Originally published as Police investigate after 12-year-old girl found dead at Coomera home