Oliver Steeper, a nine-month-old boy, choked on food at Jelly Beans Nursery in Ashford, Kent, on September 23, 2021, and died six days later. His parents, Lewis and Zoe Steeper, have since set up the Oliver Steeper Foundation, which has now given away 2,000 anti-choking devices to childcare settings and plans to expand into schools.
A happy baby who loved watching trees
Oliver, known as Oli, was born in 2020 during the Covid pandemic. His parents, who married in 2019, described him as a happy baby who loved watching trees blowing in the wind. Lewis said: “He was such a little bundle of joy straight from the bat. He was his own little character. He was a cracking little lad.”
The couple, from Ashford, Kent, said lockdown gave them more meaningful time with their son. “Because it was during Covid, we probably spent more meaningful time with him,” said Lewis. “We were forced to. We were walking around with Oli, going on socially distanced walks.” Zoe added that Oli was generally contented but did not sleep well. “He was a bit of an owl,” she said.
The day Oli choked
On September 23, 2021, Zoe dropped Oli at nursery at 7.50am. Around two hours later, she was told he had suffered a choking incident and was with paramedics. She was initially reassured that he was “ok”. Lewis, who was more than two hours away, raced to William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, where Oli was being treated.
Oli was transferred to Evelina London Children’s Hospital, where doctors warned the couple to prepare for the possibility that he would not survive. Lewis initially reacted with anger. “I said, ‘How can you tell that? He’s only been here 15 minutes’,” he recalled. He later appreciated the doctor’s candour. “It was the best thing she could have done for us,” he said. The couple stayed at Oli’s bedside for a week, playing him the theme tune to Hey Duggee and making casts of his tiny hands and feet. They were told Oli had suffered a cardiac arrest and unrecoverable neurological damage.
Organ donation and search for answers
When hospital staff approached the couple about organ donation, they agreed immediately. Oli was able to donate his kidneys and liver. On September 29, the couple said their final goodbye. Lewis recalled stopping a nurse and asking what they should do now. “She replied, ‘You go home’. That was the worst thing for me,” he said.
A police investigation followed, and the case was considered by the Crown Prosecution Service, but no criminal charges were brought. Lewis said: “We still got no accountability. No one said sorry. No one said, ‘We got it wrong’.” The inquest jury concluded Oli’s death was the result of misadventure. The family subsequently pursued a civil claim, which was settled for a six-figure sum without an admission of liability. Lewis said: “It was never about the money for us. We wanted accountability.”
The Oliver Steeper Foundation
The Oliver Steeper Foundation was officially registered in 2023 and began supplying LifeVac anti-choking devices to childcare settings. The manually operated device, which costs £60-85, can clear blocked airways when first aid fails.
The response has been remarkable. “It went nuts,” Lewis said. “On the first day our Justgiving page had about £3,000.” The foundation has now distributed 2,000 kits. An interactive map on its website shows where they have gone, and Lewis said some parents consult it when choosing childcare. The couple take no salary or expenses from the charity.
Next year, the couple aim to start providing the devices to schools. They have even taken their campaign to New York. Zoe said there is comfort in being with other parents. “They’re all up there somewhere calling the shots and we’re just basically doing what they’re telling us,” she smiled.
Four years after they lost him, their little boy who laughed at trees is still changing lives. His life lasted only nine months. His legacy is only just beginning.
