Whether it’s spotting Bridgerton stars at restaurants, bringing a podcast to life or soaking up Santa Monica sunshine, Wellington’s Eleisha Foon feels the presence of her late bestie Megan Finlayson in every moment of joy she feels while living in Los Angeles.
It’s just over two years since Megan’s brutal death in a hit-and-run made headlines and Eleisha believes the devastating loss helped her lead her dream life abroad.
“Joy was Megan’s middle name and despite the deep sadness, I’ve experienced lots of that through my grief. It’s felt like a runway to living in LA,” says Eleisha, 28.
“It gave me the courage to step into new chapters because when you lose someone, you stop postponing life.”
Moving overseas was one part of her healing. The other involves the publication of her new children’s book, Where Is Pillar? – written while watching Megan’s two nephews, who were one and three when she died, struggle through the sudden loss.
Writing was a natural outlet
Writing was a natural outlet. Eleisha’s been drawn to storytelling ever since growing up in Lower Hutt with her Fijian Indian mum Janine and Kiwi-British, Chinese dad Victor.
With a multicultural background, she’d always questioned where she belonged and wanted to elevate the voices of others who felt the same.
After covering the 2019 mosque attacks in Christchurch, the broadcaster went on to jobs at Al Jazeera in Doha then back home to Radio New Zealand (RNZ).
Through every chapter together
Travelling to the US was among the global adventures she’d planned with Megan, who she met when they were 13. Becoming fast friends, they teased each other’s short height and enjoyed summers boogie boarding in Ōhope.
As they grew older, the besties headed to Taupō every winter for Megan’s birthday for a weekend of feasting and puzzles. “Megan was nerdy! After our friend Taryn had kids, she would bring them along. Through every stage of life, our traditions stayed the same.”
That included buying matching Christmas gifts, like wave rings to symbolise being close while oceans apart. Their final adventures were to the FIFA World Cup in Wellington and another Taupō trip, where Eleisha baked Megan a birthday pavlova.
When everything changed
Sadly, Megan died just a few months later at age 27. While crossing the road enroute to work in Lower Hutt, she was hit by a driver, out on bail for other charges, who was travelling over 100kpm in a 70kpm zone.
“It was one of the darkest periods in my life,” reveals Eleisha. “I usually have lots of momentum, but suddenly the brakes were on. I felt lost. Learning how to live with this gaping hole in my heart was tough.
“I had to move forward and some days it was minutes at a time. I spent two weeks in bed then thought, ‘I don’t want to fall into a depression’, because the darkness felt so heavy.”
Returning to work at RNZ, Eleisha sought help from Victim Support and a clinical psychologist. She also began pouring her emotions out onto paper, which lead to the idea to publish Where Is Pillar?
Turning grief into purpose
“It was hard seeing Megan’s nephews confused and lost. As adults, we’re not taught how to grieve and I remember thinking how much harder it must be for a child. My way of processing the death was writing this book for them. I wanted to find purpose in the pain.”
Grief is also what brought together Eleisha and the book’s illustrator Eleanor Sherson, had also experienced the loss of a loved one when the pair first met at church. She illustrated the rhyme book, which follows a mouse named Mila, who loses caterpillar pal Pillar in a storm, and is helped through her emotions by butterfly Mona.
With a portion of sales going to Victim Support, the book has just been released in New Zealand with copies already sold in the US, the place Eleisha headed in 2024 to process Megan’s death.
A fresh start in New York
She spent two months in New York with close pals, TVNZ correspondent Logan Church and TikTok star Julian Sewell, and shared her hopes of starting a podcast, The News In You. Logan promptly filmed a trailer and lent her gear.
“Logan always rolls up his sleeves and supports practically. He also created moments of healthy distraction from my grief,” she says.
Chasing the dream
Eventually moving to Santa Monica, Eleisha went straight into reporting on the 2025 wildfires, connecting with grieving communities as she continued to miss Megan. She has since launched her podcast, become besties with late Hollywood icon Lee Remick’s granddaughter Georgia, continued reporting and found her “village”.
Finding the dream-chasing environment of LA “intoxicating”, she continues to cultivate Megan’s legacy daily.
“I honour her by living like her – being more present, listening and not rushing past moments that matter. She taught me presence is love.”
Five ways to help kids grieve
- Tell the truth softly – Use simple, honest words. Kids feel safer with gentle truth than confusing silence.
- Give them permission to feel anything – All emotions are normal. Crying one minute and playing the next is how children process grief.
- Create small rituals of remembrance – Draw, light a candle, share stories, say the person or pet’s name. Rituals keep memories alive and help kids understand that love doesn’t disappear.
- Keep routines steady – Familiar schedules like meals, school and bedtime create safety when everything else feels uncertain.
- Model grief out loud – Let them see you talk, remember and cry. Children learn it’s safe to feel by watching you.
Where is Pillar? ($30, Wish Upon A Word) is out now at Little Unity, Telling Tales, Schrödinger Books and Unity Books.
