The Children's Heart Foundation is near and dear to my heart after losing my newborn daughter Isla Elizabeth to a rare congenital heart defect (CHD). 

Isla's pregnancy had its ups and downs with wondering why she was measuring so small, but we were told it was likely just related to the placenta after all the testing came back negative. Isla entered this world on October 5, 2020 at 3:03am and immediately and unexpectedly needed life saving measures. Dr. Blue, the Neonatologist at St. Joseph's Women's Hospital stood before us and tried explaining that Isla was the sickest baby in the entire hospital, but she was going to do everything she could to save her. Our hearts sank. After repeated testing and a few hours, we were told there was nothing more they could do. Isla passed away on my chest at 11:45am, my first time holding her. We had so many unanswered questions. We chose to perform an autopsy, and there we found Isla's CHD. It is called TAPVR (Total anomalous pulmonary venous return). Weighing only 3lb 9oz, she was too small to be placed on ecmo which would have given her a chance of survival to make it to surgery.

My purpose became funding research so other parents don't have to experience this grief, this intense heart ache, this nightmare. Thank you for your support as I do my best to mother my daughter though she's not in my arms.