Oli’s Story
“On 23 September, I dropped Oli off at nursery. He never came home again.”
Zoe Steeper, Oli’s mum
A morning like any other
Oli was nine months old, still mostly on milk, only just beginning to try puréed and soft finger foods at home, always under a watchful eye. That morning, like every morning, Zoe dropped him at nursery with a kiss.
Seconds that changed everything
Oli was given a meal he wasn’t ready for. He began to choke, and the first aid that followed couldn’t clear his airway in time. He was rushed to hospital, and then to the Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
Held, and loved, to the very end
For six days, Zoe and Lewis never left his side, reading to him, holding him, singing the songs he knew. Oli had suffered a catastrophic brain injury from a lack of oxygen. He passed away on 29 September 2021, wrapped in the arms of the people who loved him most.
Turning grief into protection
Out of that pain, Lewis and Zoe founded The Oliver Steeper Foundation. Their campaigning helped change the law for children eating in nurseries, and with LifeVac, they are placing life-saving devices where little ones spend their days. Oli’s love is still out there, doing its quiet work.
