It was a one-in-a-million condition that killed 12-year-old Brighton schoolgirl Kali Hitchcock. But she was a one-in-a-million girl, according to her family.

Her grieving mother and father today paid a moving tribute to the daughter they named after an Indian goddess.

They hope Kali's death will send a message to parents everywhere, to love your children every minute of every day.

Kali kissed her parents goodnight after a great weekend.

She had enjoyed a sleepover with a friend last Saturday night and the two had sat chatting in bed until 3am, giggling about pop stars, how they had played with Christmas lights and done some baking during the day.

Her mum picked Kali up Sunday afternoon and brought her back to the family home in Hawkhurst Road, Coldean, for a family dinner.

Kali was tired and after watching videos and having a bath with her six-year-old sister, Kizzy, she went to bed at 8pm to get a good rest before school the next morning.

Her favourite teddies lying beside her, she reached out and kissed her mother and father goodnight, still smiling from the events of the weekend.

Her dad, Michael, a 39-year-old decorator, said: "I said to her 'Good night, darling,' and she said 'Good night, dad'. And we always said we loved each other."

Her mum Nicky, 33 who is about to take up a counselling course at the University of Sussex, was doing the ironing but, as usual, made a point of saying goodnight.

They had no idea that their world was about to be shattered.

The next morning her parents called Kali down for breakfast. There was no response.

Worried she would be late for school, Mr Hitchcock went into her room to wake her.

It was if she was in a deep sleep. Her teddies were still on her pillow by her side and Kali lay there, looking peaceful, cosy and tucked up under her duvet.

Shock, panic, dread and grief - the emotions raced through him when the dreadful reality set in.

A post-mortem by a paediatric pathologist in London revealed a Berry aneurysm, a weakness in a the wall of a blood vessel in the brain that caused the vessel to burst.

Kali had been a healthy, normal girl with no previous signs of the life-threatening condition.

Experts say it can manifest itself in people in their twenties and thirties, but is extremely rare in children of Kali's age.

The fact that it strikes instantly has given Kali's parents a shred of comfort. They would have heard if she had cried out during the night. Her bed clothes would have been disturbed. The evidence showed she had simply gone to sleep and not woken up.

Mr Hitchcock said: "We were relieved in a sense."

His wife said: "The fact that she did not suffer is a huge comfort to us."

The couple held hands and fought back the tears as they told how lucky they had been to have had Kali for nearly 13 years. Their daughter was two-years-old when they moved from their home in Aylesbury, Bucks, to Brighton.

Mr Hitchcock said: "Brighton is the best town for children to grow up in and we have loved every minute of it."

Kali loved it too. She attended Middle Street School, where she became reception monitor, making sure younger children were safe and doing the right thing.

She was an "old soul", mature for her age, and often played mother to her younger sister. She would smile a lot and had a keen sense of humour. Her mother said: "She was always making us laugh and only last Saturday she wrote a story for school that had us in hysterics."

Mr Hitchcock said: "There was so much about her that was pretty-damn perfect."

At the age of eight, animal-loving Kali wrote a poem that was read out on local radio. It included the line: "My Christmas wish would be all the children in the world could be as happy as me."

Kali made a similarly good impression on teachers at Varndean School in Brighton and staff there and at Middle Street held special assemblies to pay tribute to her.

Her father said Kali was a great friend who would hold conversations about mature subjects - and once spoke of the heartache over missing Littlehampton girl Sarah Payne. Mrs Hitchcock said Kali was doing well at religious studies, history and German, and was hoping to go to university. Not a sporty child, Kali loved pop bands, especially All Saints, and shopping for clothes, jewelley and CDs.

Her mother called her "bubbly and friendly", always smiling and very gentle. She said: "She would not pick a flower if she thought it would hurt it."

Kali's parents thanked police, ambulance and the Royal Sussex County Hospital for their thoughtfulness and caring and their friends, family and neighbours.

Many of Kali's friends will be invited to her funeral. Her mum said: "We want everyone who knew her to attend and help celebrate Kali's short and beautiful life."

Mr Hitchcock said: "Kali's condition was a one-in-a-million, but she was a one-in-a-million girl. She was our angel."

The couple hope Kali's death will hit home with all parents. They said: "You cannot ever imagine this can happen to you, but it can. Love your children every minute of every day. Nothing else matters."