The For Isla Foundation

Our beautiful little girl, Isla Rose Sheraton-Toomey, unexpectedly passed away on Friday 8th September 2023 at 13 months and 4 days old. With absolutely no warning, Isla's heart stopped in her cot shortly after being put to bed. Our neighbours, paramedics, doctors and an amazing emergency response team at Southend Hospital worked to bring her back to life for 2 and a half hours but eventually there was nothing else that could be done. Her passing has broken us all as a family and we now know what heartbreak truly feels like; it’s unbearable. In November 2023 it was confirmed that Isla had an extremely rare heart condition - Histiocytoid Cardiomyopathy. There is very little known about the condition and thought to be approx. only 150 known cases to date globally but we were lucky enough to meet a Doctor/Professor at GOSH who had heard of the condition and who shared the very limited known facts with us. The support we’ve recieved from GOSH since the diagnosis has been incredible and without them we would be lost. The For Isla Foundation was created in 2024 to support other children with ultra rare cardiomyopathies (heart disease); as parents, we understand the fear, heartbreak and uncertainty can be a very dark place. With Isla’s Ray of Sunshine, we grant a one off gift to children between the ages of 0-5 suffering (and their immediate families) with ultra rare cardiomyopathies (1 in We really hope to bring just a little bit of sunshine to someone’s darkness 🤍