HE PROMISED HIS BABY BOY THE WORLD — AFTER LOSING HIM, A FATHER CARRIED HIS TINY FOOTPRINTS ACROSS AUSTRALIA

Before his son was born, Australian father Nick Olney made a promise that many parents dream of making: he would show his little boy the world. But Harry never came home from hospital, dying less than two days after his birth in 2020.

Years later, Nick fulfilled part of that promise in a deeply personal way. He travelled to the northernmost point of mainland Australia, carrying an imprint of Harry’s tiny feet with him.

A Father Facing an Unimaginable Loss

Nick and his wife, Olga, had looked forward to welcoming their first child. They had even planned to preserve their baby’s handprints and give them to him on his 21st birthday.

Instead, those prints became one of the few physical memories they could take home.

Harry lived for approximately 45 hours. During much of that time, Olga was in a medically induced coma, leaving Nick facing difficult medical decisions concerning both his wife and newborn son.

A friend delivered a baby imprint kit to the hospital, where a nurse helped preserve Harry’s tiny handprints and footprints.

Another Heartbreaking Goodbye

In 2022, Nick and Olga experienced another devastating loss when their second son, PJ, died at 18 weeks of pregnancy.

Nick struggled to find professional psychological support. After months of unsuccessful attempts to access help, he began speaking informally with other fathers who had experienced pregnancy or infant loss.

He discovered that some men had carried their grief silently for years, unsure where to turn or whether they were allowed to speak openly about losing a child.

Turning Grief Into Something Other Families Can Hold

In 2023, Nick and Olga founded a charity called No Harry to Hold.

The organisation began supplying baby imprint kits to neonatal intensive care units, allowing bereaved parents to preserve their children’s handprints and footprints.

For families leaving hospital without their baby, these small keepsakes can become an irreplaceable physical connection to a child they loved.

Nick set himself the goal of delivering kits to all 23 neonatal intensive care units across Australia.

A Journey With Harry’s Tiny Footprints

As part of that mission, Nick travelled across the country, taking the kits to hospitals and carrying Harry’s footprints with him.

His journey eventually brought him to Cape York, the northernmost point of mainland Australia.

Standing there with his son’s footprints was an intensely emotional experience. Although Harry could not physically accompany him, Nick felt he was honouring the promise he had made before his son’s birth.

Helping Other Parents Remember Their Babies

Nick’s work has also drawn attention to the need for better bereavement support for fathers.

Healthcare professionals say men often concentrate on caring for their partners after pregnancy or infant loss, sometimes leaving their own grief unspoken.

Through No Harry to Hold, Nick hopes more families will have the opportunity to preserve precious memories, while fathers feel recognised as grieving parents too.

Harry and PJ’s lives were heartbreakingly brief, but their family’s efforts are now helping other parents carry something tangible home.

Source: ABC News Australia, September 26, 2026. Reporting by Emma Jones.