Alex and Selena’s tribute to their bravest boy, Otis
Cycling 800 miles from London to San Sebastián, Alex and Selena honoured the life of their son, Otis, and raised over £50,000 for Evelina London Children’s Charity and Chestnut Tree House Hospice.
Sensitive content: this article deals with themes of infant loss.
November 2024: The arrival of Otis
Otis was born five weeks early – a tiny, peaceful baby who loved cuddles, especially shoulder time with his dad. “Otis was a very snoozy baby, and his favourite snoozing spot was on his Mum and Dad,” remembers Selena, Otis’ mum.
In January, Otis suddenly stopped breathing at home. He was quickly transferred to Evelina London Children’s Hospital, where the expert intensive care team took him into their care.
The dedicated team carried out extensive investigations, including genetic testing, but no clear cause was found. What was clear was that Otis’s condition was extremely rare,
“The PICU team did everything possible under the sun. And we are so grateful that they were able to do that.” said Alex, Otis’ Dad.
April 2025: Moving to hospice care
Over time, Otis made small improvements, but he was struggling to breathe on his own.
Faced with this reality, Otis’ parents had to make the most difficult decision. Selena said, “As parents, you don’t want to leave any stone unturned, no matter how remote the possibility. But we also wanted him to have comfort and dignity.”
Together, with the Evelina London team’s support, they decided to take Otis to Chestnut Tree House Hospice in West Sussex.
Otis died peacefully at just under six months old, with his parents by his side.
“He was such a fighter. He would just always continue pushing and fighting. So just incredible, endless bravery from little Otis,”
“What they have done is taken something so devastating for any parent and managed it with personal resilience and grace... This will have a positive impact on other children and families. Bearing that pain with bravery is incredibly inspirational”
