Dad to run London Marathon in memory of daughter

A man whose 15-month-old daughter died suddenly from a rare illness said training for the London Marathon in her memory makes him "feel closer" to her.

Harry Foster said his daughter Olivia was "always running around" and "having fun" before she unexpectedly died in October 2023 from acute viral myocarditis, which affects the heart.

Foster, a primary school teacher from Somerton in Somerset, is set to run in the marathon on 26 April to raise money for charity.

He said: "When I'm out running I always feel like I'm closer to Olivia. I don't know why that is or what it means, but I feel like I'm making her proud."

When Olivia died, he told BBC Radio Somerset, a local post-mortem gave "no answers to what she actually died of".

She was taken to Great Ormond Street Hospital, in London, for a follow-up post-mortem which found she died of acute viral myocarditis.

Her dad said he started running properly about a year ago and is now looking ahead to taking on the 26.2-mile (42.19km) course in London.

Foster, who teaches at St John's C of E Primary School in Wellington, hopes to complete the famous race in under four hours.

He added: "For the last two-and-a-half years me and my wife have been filling voids of not having Olivia here.

"She was 15 months old, we were always running around after her, having fun, playing games and reading books.

"So for her to suddenly pass away there was a huge gap in our lives.We did say we'd continue fundraising and keeping ourselves busy."

Foster will run the marathon for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity, and has so far raised £8,900.

"There's no more worthy cause than doing it [the marathon] for them," he said.

"I thought I'd give it a go. The training has been tough and hard.

"The closer I get the more excited I'm getting, and the more I'm feeling the training I'm doing is benefitting and paying off."

Olly Priestley, the school's headteacher, said: "'Harry is a wonderful role model for the school vision and values, and we are all incredibly proud of his achievements.

"St John's will all be behind him on the big day, with the children all excited to see him run in this wonderful event."

According to British Heart Foundation (BHF), myocarditis is most commonly caused by a virus and most people recover without any lasting effects, however in rare cases it can be severe.

Its symptoms include chest pain or discomfort, feeling breathless and heart palpitations.

Anyone who experiences symptoms should call 999 immediately, the BHF said.

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