English cricketer Matt Dunn's two-year-old daughter has tragically passed away.
Toddler Florence suffered a rare and severe form of epilepsy known as Dravet Syndrome, described by the NHS as a “rare, life-limiting and devastating” genetic neurological condition.
In a post on his Instagram story, Mr Dunn shared an image of his daughter and wrote: “You will forever be in my heart”.
A separate post on an account dedicated to Florence read: “Our beautiful girl gained her angel wings and was lost to SUDEP (sudden unexpected death in epilepsy ).
“To find the words at this time is almost impossible. You were so incredibly loved and the imprint you have left on so many lives is something to behold, you lit up any room you entered. We will be forever so proud of you and your fight baby girl.”
The cricket world has offered its condolences to fast bowler Mr Dunn, a Surrey Academy graduate who received a call-up to the England Lions in 2014.
Surrey county, who Mr Dunn plays for, said in a statement: “Everyone at Surrey is greatly saddened by the news of the passing of Matt Dunn’s daughter Florence. Our thoughts are with Matt and his wife Jessica, who bravely managed Florence’s Dravet Syndrome – a severe form of epilepsy.”
Surrey’s director of cricket Alec Stewart offered his condolences to the family, adding: “We are all absolutely devastated to hear of Florence’s passing and our very best wishes are with the whole Dunn family. We will provide Matt and Jessica with all the support that we can.”
Other teams also sent their support to the player and his family.
Essex Cricket said: “Our heartfelt condolences go out to Matt and his family” while Yorkshire Cricket added: “Sending our love and thoughts to the Dunn family at this incredibly hard time.”
What is Dravet Syndrome?
Dravet Syndrome is a rare, life-limiting, genetic neurological condition, occurring in 1/15,000 live births in the UK.
The condition causes treatment-resistant epilepsy and intellectual disability alongside a spectrum of associated conditions including autism, ADHD, challenging behaviour, difficulties with speech, mobility, feeding and sleep.
