After losing their daughter, Eleanor, in January, Michael Kavanagh, and his wife, Di, are taking on sporting challenges to raise £100,000 for various charities.
Recalling their daughter’s tragic passing, Michael said: “On Sunday 26th January 2025, our 2-year-old, Eleanor and her big sister Fiona, went to bed like any other night.
“We played, read stories, tucked them in and sang a lullaby. They both went to sleep happy and loved.
The following morning, Monday 27th January, Di went into the girls’ room to discover the unthinkable had happened. Eleanor had passed away in her sleep”.
Di completed a mammoth 330-mile bike ride from London to Paris early in September.
Michael will run 80 miles, without stopping, from the family’s home in Chipping Norton to Eleanor’s graveside in Shropshire on 25 October.
The five charities the Kavanaghs are supporting are: 2Wish, Child Bereavement UK. St Chad’s Church, Boningale, Midlands Air Ambulance and The Farming Community Network.
The family still painfully recalls memories of losing Eleanor.
“It is a parent’s worst nightmare.
“When we put Eleanor down to sleep, there were no signs of a worrying illness, and there was absolutely no warning of our bright, happy, healthy little girl’s ill health.
“The postmortem results were returned 12 weeks later showing she had viral pneumonia.
“The pain of the reality of what happened is excruciating for us all, and the pain that we feel now reflects the love and memories we have of Eleanor and the love and joy she brought to our family.
“We are incredibly grateful for the final memories we have with our little girl,” said Di.
Michael said: “We have had so much love and support following our loss of our little girl, and we wanted to commit to these two challenges to honour Eleanor’s memory and give back to the charities who were there for us when we most needed the support,”
“The focus on getting fit enough has also been very important for our mental strength and resilience to get through the most brutal period of our lives imaginable.”
Before Eleanor’s tragic passing, the family were in the process of moving from Shropshire to Oxfordshire for Michael’s new job as a farm manager.
Having to move away from their daughter’s resting place has only deepened their pain.
The Kindness Found within Charities
Describing how the charities have helped them, Michael said: “The kindness of the people who work for these charities is breathtaking.
“2Wish were the first charity on hand to us on the day Eleanor died. They ensured we had a memory box including a clay footprint of Eleanor and a lock of her hair.
“They provide advice, counselling and ongoing support to Di and me.
“Child Bereavement UK’s counselling has helped us navigate the grief and the differing emotions we both go through, and they have been invaluable.”
He said: “St Chads Church is Eleanor’s final resting place, and we were also married there.
“Reverend Mary Thomas was invaluable to us from the start. The strength, wisdom and love she gave us helped us navigate the turmoil”.
Talking about the events on the day, Michael said: “The Midlands Air Ambulance crew was first on scene the morning Eleanor died.
“One of the crew stayed downstairs and played with Fiona. We are so grateful that in such circumstances they were able to bring some normality to Fiona and make that day less traumatic for her.
“The crew’s sensitivity and professionalism in a harrowing time for them will always be remembered by us all.”
Some of the money the Kavanagh family raise for Eleanor’s Challenge will be allocated by the Farming Community Network to direct people to child bereavement resources.
For anyone wishing to contribute to the Eleanor’s Challenge, you can do so here.
For those who want to join Michael’s run on 25 October, you can message him via LinkedIn.
Featured image credit:Photo by Caique Araujo from Pexels
