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English comedian Russell Howard is mourning the death of his newborn son, Felix.
“Earlier this year, our family changed forever when our beautiful baby boy, Felix, died shortly after birth,” Howard, 46, said in a statement shared via Instagram on Friday, September 4. “During the most devastating time of our lives, the hospital staff who cared for us showed extraordinary compassion, kindness and humanity. They helped us navigate an unimaginable heartache and gave us support when we needed it most.”
The TV host explained that he and his wife, Cerys Morgan, were assigned a “bereavement midwife” who “had experienced a similar tragedy.”
“After losing her own baby, Lauren retrained as a midwife so that she could help other families going through what she had been through,” Howard went on to explain. “Her care meant more to us than we can ever put into words.”
Howard and his wife, who also share an older son born in August 2024, were able to spend “precious hours” with their baby boy thanks to a cool cot — a cooling unit and pad placed inside a bassinet that gently cools an infant, allowing grieving families time to stay close to their late loved one before their bodies are taken.
“We could hold him, talk to him and tell him just how much we loved him,” Howard recalled of those precious moments with his late son. “Those hours are among the most precious memories we have of Felix.”
Howard then announced his decision to launch The Felix Foundation in the newborn’s honor.
“We were overwhelmed by the care we received, and we made a promise to each other: that we would try to help other families who find themselves facing the same devastating circumstances,” he shared.
The Felix Foundation aims to “relieve the needs of parents, siblings and other close family members affected by miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, neonatal death or related bereavement” by supporting midwives in bereavement care training, funding resources for emotional support, facilities and equipment, providing information to families and raising awareness.
Howard revealed that he will host a charity gala at The 02 in London on February 8, 2027, with several comedians on the lineup: Michael McIntyre, Jimmy Carr, Aisling Bea, Guz Khan, Greg Davies, Mo Gilligan, Michelle Wolf and John Bishop.
“Every single one of these incredible performers is giving their time completely free of charge. I will never forget their generosity,” Howard noted. “We would absolutely love it if you could join us for what promises to be a very special evening: a night of comedy, laughter and celebration, all in aid of a cause that means everything to our family.”
He concluded, “The Felix Foundation is named after our beautiful son. We miss him dearly, every single day, but we take some comfort in knowing that his name will stand for kindness, compassion and laughter, and that his legacy may help other families through the darkest moments of their lives. We would love it if you came along and helped us make Felix’s legacy something truly special.”
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