Heartbreaking way little Ava, 12, told her parents she loved them in her final moments after becoming so sick she lost her ability to speak

A 12-year-old girl would squeeze her parents' hands twice to let them know she loved them after a severe brain tumour took away her ability to speak.

Ava Grace Lynch was diagnosed with a brain tumour in October last year and tragically passed away on March 20.

Moments before her death, Ava spelled a question on her alphabet board - which she began using when she lost her voice.

She asked her parents where her siblings were. A short 10 minutes later, 'little Ava' wrote her last message: 'How long?'

Once Ava's older siblings - Charlie, Harry and Helena - arrived at their home in Stirling, in South Australia's Adelaide Hills, Ava held each of their hands, squeezed twice and drew her last breath.

'You could tell she was so relieved that they were there and she knew that they were there,' Ava's mum Christina told The Advertiser on Wednesday. 

Ava's brain tumour diagnosis came shortly after she suffered a bout of Covid, leading her parents to believe she might have been suffering from long Covid.

However, the 12-year-old's teacher raised concerns with her parents after noticing her handwriting was odd.

Multiple tests and scans revealed the family's worst nightmare, Ava had been living with a brain tumour. 

'That was probably the most devastating moment of our lives,' her dad, Darren, said. 

Ava had a positive response to radiotherapy and was able to make important school memories with her friends before she died, including their Year Six graduation and Year Seven school camp.

The little girl also made precious memories with her family, including a holiday to Hamilton Island, a big Christmas with extended family and a visit to Nanna Lynch in Streaky Bay - on the state's central coast.

Her parents said they still receive messages from her grieving friends who write 'Ava, I'll keep sending you messages' and 'We miss you so much'.

Those devastated friends from Loreto College, in east Adelaide, released balloons in Ava's favourite colours, pink and green, on the day of her funeral.

The children lined William St, in Norwood, and threw rose petals which blew to Stirling. 

Darren and Christina said they imagined Ava growing up to be a CEO because she was 'quite conscientious, diligent, hard worker, cared a lot, very kind'.

'The thing I miss the most is her companionship and her beautiful company and presence,' Christina said.

Ava was the youngest in a family of six and had a large extended family with well over 20 cousins.

She spent the first seven years of her life growing up in Sydney's Five Docks before moving to the Adelaide Hills with her family.

Ava originally attended St Catherine's Catholic Primary School before moving to Loreto College in Year Fuve.

The 12-year-old loved netball and played for her school and Heathfield Netball Club.

On top of that, she played piano, loved spending time with her dogs Lucy and Betty and enjoyed cooking with her mum.

She had dreamt of joining Loreto's rowing team but was unable due to her cancer.  

Ava was born on August 9, 2011, and died surrounded by her family.