There is no getting away from the tragedy that befell Arter and his wife, Rachel. It is heartening, though, to see the footballer trying to do something positive in memory of his daughter.
Last December, Arter and his wife had their hearts broken when their daughter, Renee, was stillborn.
Somehow, four days later, through the anguish, anger and resignation, Arter played for Bournemouth. He helped them to a 2-1 win over Manchester United.
Five months on and Arter is on a fund-raising and awareness drive for a fantastic charity called 4Louis. The Ireland international has launched an auction in a bid to raise vital funds for the charity, who support bereaved parents that experience stillbirth, neo-natal, infant and child loss.
As part of the auction, Arter has reached out to fellow footballers and asked if they could donate some memorabilia and jerseys. He has not been disappointed.
Among the players to have offered the midfielder jerseys to auction off are Troy Deeney, Scott Parker and Adam Lallana. Indeed, Lallana has give Arter the prized England jerseys he wore in the recent 3-2 win over Germany.
Cherries boss Eddie Howe has been lifted by the response. He told the club website:
“Harry is trying to do something positive in the memory of his daughter and that is supported by the whole club. Every player within the squad has given something as well, that makes it a real team effort.
“That’s the beauty of this squad. They are so close and when one person is hurt or upset they group around – that’s been one of our strengths and hopefully it will continue to be going into the future.”
The auction items also include a number of signed football boots from Cherries players. You can check out the inventory here.
