In this heartfelt episode, Michael Kavanagh shares his journey of grief following the tragic loss of his daughter Eleanor in January 2025. He discusses the challenges faced by his family, the importance of community support, and the promise he made to Eleanor to live a life well lived. 

On Sunday 26th January 2025, 2 year old, Eleanor and her big sister Fiona, went to bed like any other night. Their parents Di and Michael played with them, read them stories, tucked them in and sang a lullaby. Both children 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. Having had no signs of a worrying illness, and the brightest, happiest, healthiest little girl they had absolutely no warning there was anything to be concerned about. The postmortem would come back some 12 weeks later showing she had viral pneumonia. 

In this episode which some viewers may find difficult, Michael Kavanagh describes his and Di's experience this year, grief, counselling and undertaking immense challenges in memory of Eleanor. Di has already completed her cycle from London to Paris in extreme conditions. Michael will be leaving their new home in Oxfordshire on Saturday 25th October, and within 24 hours he will run (and walk) to Eleanor’s grave 80 miles away in Shropshire. Three marathons, back-to-back. Off road. Through the night. 

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT MICHAEL AND ELEANOR PLEASE VISIT The Eleanor Challenge - GiveWheel

Chapters 

• 00:00 Introduction and Background
• 02:47 The Tragic Loss of Eleanor
• 05:56 Life After Loss: The Kavanagh Family's Journey
• 08:57 Michael's New Farming Challenge
• 11:51 Eleanor's Memory and the Promise of a Life Well Lived
• 14:53 Community Support and Resilience
• 17:42 Finding Joy Amidst Grief
• 26:25 Navigating Grief: Personal Insights
• 30:28 The Importance of Counseling and Support
• 35:29 Channeling Grief into Action: The Challenges Ahead
• 44:36 Charity and Community: Honoring Eleanor's Memory
• 51:02 Messages of Hope and Resilience

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Ben Eagle is the founder and Head of Podcasts at RuralPod Media, a specialist rural podcast production agency. You can find out more at ruralpodmedia.co.uk or benjamineagle.co.uk 

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