Comedian Russell Howard has revealed that his baby son, Felix, died shortly after birth, just hours after his wife Cerys Morgan gave birth. The 44-year-old star shared the heartbreaking news in a moving statement posted on Instagram, saying the family was able to cherish a "precious" few hours with him.
Emotional statement
In the statement, Russell said: "Earlier this year, our family changed forever when our beautiful baby boy, Felix, died shortly after birth." He praised the hospital staff who cared for them, describing their "extraordinary compassion, kindness and humanity" during "the most devastating time of our lives".
He also spoke of a bereavement midwife, Lauren, 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," he wrote. "Her care meant more to us than we can ever put into words."
The Felix Foundation
The couple was able to spend precious hours with Felix, who was placed in a cool cot. Russell said: "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."
In Felix's memory, Russell and Cerys are establishing The Felix Foundation. The charity's primary objective is to "relieve the needs of parents, siblings and other close family members affected by miscarriage premature birth, stillbirth, neonatal death or related bereavement", through supporting additional training for midwives specialising in bereavement care.
The foundation will also provide funding for resources offering emotional support and practical help, while raising money for "dedicated rooms, facilities, equipment and resources" in hospitals, maternity units and neonatal units. It also seeks to increase awareness of late miscarriage and stillbirths, alongside offering information and guidance to families going through such experiences.
Charity gala planned
Russell confirmed he is organising a charity gala in February 2027, with comedians including Michael McIntyre, Jimmy Carr and Greg Davies already committed to perform.
He added: "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."
Russell welcomed his first child, another son, in 2024, but had not announced he and his wife were expecting again. He previously shared with The i about his experience of fatherhood: "I've never been happier or more tired than I've felt since becoming a dad. The other day, my son came up to me and just put his head on my inner arm and relaxed into me. It gave me this cosmic feeling of otherworldly happiness. So simple and obvious. I thought, 'Isn't it amazing what we human beings can do for each other.'"
