Freya, 13, conquers fear of Humber Bridge to raise money after witnessing dad’s sudden death at home

A Hull teenager has conquered her fear of the Humber Bridge in efforts to raise money for a defibrillator that could have saved her father’s life.

Freya Ostler, 13, and her family went through unimaginable pain in September 2021, when their dad Kev Boddy suddenly passed away. Freya’s sister, Emily, said that his death at their home happened very quickly- one minute he was on the sofa, the next he was slumped over and not breathing.

Kev died from sudden cardiac arrest and his family believe a defibrillator could well have saved his life. Now, the family is doing all they can to raise money to get one installed in Appleton Road in Kev’s memory.

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Kev and Tina’s eldest daughter, Emily, 21, recalls giving her dad CPR for just under half an hour, but unfortunately he didn’t make it. She described her dad as a big family man, who is remembered for his big heart.

“He was a bit of a workaholic at the fish factory but he would do anything for anyone. We were all close to him,” she said. Kev left behind his partner, Tina, and three girls Emily, Freya and Bella.

Tina said: “When it happened, the ambulance took a while to get here. I didn’t have chance to run all the way to Tesco to ask if they had a defibrillator, so having one on our road could have saved Kev’s life.

“All of his children were there when he passed away. Since then, the girls have been doing things like jewellery making to raise money to get one installed. But Freya came up with the Humber Bridge idea all on her own.”

Freya was 11 years old when she saw her dad pass away, and already suffered with anxiety and ADHD. She works with a local youth outreach team, Wild Intervention, twice a week to build up her independence and confidence.

Since she has been with her support worker, Caroline, Freya has come on leaps and bounds. However, there was still one huge fear she hadn’t conquered.

“She was absolutely petrified of the Humber Bridge,” her mum continued. “She was scared of the water, height, length, everything.

“Freya had never walked across it but even if she travelled across in the car, she would hide her face and scream. But in her one on one sessions, she was encouraged to get past her fear and just go for it.”

Freya overcame her fear of walking over the bridge by practising weekly, while being supported by Caroline. She was determined to complete the challenge in honour of her late father and managed to raise over £430 in doing so.

Her older sister, Emily, said: “I’m so proud of Freya, I can’t believe she did it. It doesn’t seem like a big thing for other kids but this was a really big fear of hers.”

Other members of the community have thanked the girls for doing something positive for the area, while remembering their dad. To donate, you can find the fundraiser here.