Somerset dad calls for bereavement rooms after death of daughter

A dad has been running 5km every day in May to fund bereavement rooms in hospitals after having nowhere to grieve when his 15-month-old daughter died.

Harry Foster, 32, from Somerton, is running a total of 155km in memory of his daughter Olivia, who died in October 2023.

Mr Foster, a teacher at St John’s Primary School in Wellington, said: “Olivia would light up the room.”

He is raising money for specialist bereavement rooms in Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton and Yeovil District Hospital through the charity 2Wish.

Mr Foster and his wife Rebecca, 32, were “over the moon” when Olivia was born in July 2022.

“She was just beautiful, perfect, we couldn’t have been happier and throughout her life she grew up smiling every day.

“She had a real zest for life, she loved going out for walks, playing with her toys, reading her books and spending time with friends and family.

“She had such a positive impact on so many peoples lives which makes us extremely proud as her parents,” he said.

But in October 2023 Olivia died from acute myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart, which usually is caused after a viral infection.

Mr Foster said that they had to go into a communal kitchen at Yeovil District Hospital while they were trying to process the news, as there was nowhere else for them to go.

“There wasn’t a place were we could grieve instantly or spend time with our families to try and actually fathom what just happened in our lives,” he said.

“It came as such a shock to all of us. We didn’t see this coming at all, it happened all so quickly. It did turn our lives completely upside down.”

Mr Foster said bereavement charity 2Wish had been “invaluable” in offering support through care workers.

He said his wife said it had felt like they were stuck in a deep well with no light and no hope until 2Wish came along and “offered us a hand”.

Mr Foster has been running around Somerton and has had friends and family supporting him in Bristol and as far away as Egypt.

So far he has raised more than £7,000 beating his original target of £5,000.