Comedian Russell Howard has announced the death of his baby boy Felix.
The Mock The Week star, 46, shared the devastating news in a lengthy Instagram post on Friday, in which he thanked the NHS for their care.
Felix died several months ago, but Russell and his wife, Dr Cerys Morgan, did not announce they were expecting a baby at the time, and chose to grieve privately.
‘Earlier this year, our family changed forever when our beautiful baby boy, Felix, died shortly after birth,’ Russell wrote.
‘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.’
Russell, 46, went on to praise their bereavement midwife Lauren, who had experienced a similar ordeal herself and decided to retrain as a midwife to give other families the best care possible.
Thanking Lauren for her support, the TV star continued: ‘Her care meant more to us than we can ever put into words. During our time in hospital, Felix was placed in a cool cot, which meant that my wife and I were able to spend precious hours with our beautiful boy. We could hold him, talk to him and tell him just how much we loved him.
‘Those hours are among the most precious memories we have of Felix.’
Russell explained how he and Cerys were ‘overwhelmed’ by the level of care they received and promised each other that they would try to help other families, in the same way midwife Lauren helped them.
‘And so, in Felix’s memory, we are establishing The Felix Foundation,’ Russell announced.
‘The foundation will aim 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 the additional training of midwives in specialist bereavement care, through yearly grants to enable them to access resources such as counselling qualifications.
‘Funding resources to provide emotional support and practical assistance.
‘Providing or funding dedicated rooms, facilities, equipment and resources within hospitals, maternity units, neonatal units and other appropriate healthcare settings, supporting the care, wellbeing and dignity of babies and their families.
‘Providing information, guidance, signposting and other resources to affected families.’
Russell will now host a charity event to raise funds for The Felix Foundation at London’s O2 Arena on February 8, 2027. It will feature an incredible line-up of famous faces, including Jimmy Carr, Greg Davies, John Bishop, Michael McIntyre, Aisling Bea and Mo Gilligan, who will entertain from the stage.
‘Every single one of these incredible performers is giving their time completely free of charge. I will never forget their generosity,’ Russell said, full of gratitude.
Concluding his message, the comic said: ‘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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