A charitable giving page that opens like this, lays bare the agony of losing a child.
“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.” These are the words of Michael Kavanagh, Eleanor’s Dad.
To honour their little girl’s life, Michael and his wife, Di, have taken on two separate challenges to raise £100,000 for five charities.
Di completed her mammoth 330-mile bike ride from London to Paris in early September, and Michael will don his trainers on 25 October to run, non-stop, the 80 miles from the family’s home in Chipping Norton to Eleanor’s graveside in Shropshire.
The family’s memories of losing Eleanor are still agonising. “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,” says Mum, Di. “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.”
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.
“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,” explains Michael. “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.”
Prior to Eleanor’s tragic passing, the family were about to move from Shropshire to a new life in Oxfordshire for Michael’s new job as a farm manager; the uprooting of their lives away from their daughter’s resting place has added to their heartache.
“The kindness of the people who work for these charities is breathtaking,” Michael says.
“The Farming Community Network is a voluntary charity that supports families within the farming community, they offer first line help and signposting for those in need towards further professional help. Some of the money raised for Eleanor’s Challenge will be allocated by FCN to direct people to child bereavement resources, helping to support future farming families’ needs.”
Thinking back to the tragic morning, Michael said that “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. They provide complementary therapies and have a cottage in Wales for use by bereaved parents.”
He adds: “Child Bereavement UK’s counselling has helped us navigate the grief and the differing emotions we both go through, and they have been invaluable.
“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 of the early days as well as ensuring Eleanor’s funeral was the most fitting celebration of her life; we can’t thank Mary enough,” he says.
“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.