Patriots Rookie Shares Heartbreaking Loss of Baby Boy

Clear Facts

• New England Patriots tight end Eli Raridon and his wife Anna announced the loss of their baby boy due to the birth defect anencephaly.
• Anencephaly prevents the forebrain and cerebrum from forming in the womb, with no cure or standard treatment available.
• Anna Raridon shared her faith-based perspective and Scripture passages as she grieves the brief life of her son.

New England Patriots rookie tight end Eli Raridon will report to work Wednesday after his wife Anna revealed their family tragedy on social media. The couple lost their unborn son to anencephaly, a fatal birth defect that prevents the forebrain and cerebrum from forming.

Anna Raridon described the moment their lives changed at the 20-week anatomy scan when doctors delivered the devastating diagnosis.

“When Eli and I went in for our 20-week anatomy scan, excited to see our sweet baby boy, our hearts were forever changed,” Anna wrote on her Instagram account. “Our little one was diagnosed with anencephaly, a fatal condition in which he would not survive outside the womb.

“While we are absolutely devastated that we were unable to bring our baby boy home, I am grateful to have loved him deeply, kept him safe, and had been his home for the past 9 months before he was called back to Heaven.”

Anna Raridon emphasized her decision to lean on faith rather than despair during this trial.

“I have often found it easy to glorify the Lord when life is going well, but it is in our deepest trials that we are drawn closest to Him,” Anna continued. “We may never understand the why behind this journey, but one thing we know with certainty is that God promises to care for His children.

“I believe our little boy was lovingly knitted together in the womb by God, knowing how deeply he would be loved by our families, our friends, Eli, and me. Though his time with us was brief, his life still precious, his purpose still meaningful, and he will forever be a part of our story.”

“I have loved you every second of your life and will miss you every second of mine. What a sweet sweet reunion ours will be🤍”

The Centers for Disease Control reports anencephaly occurs in roughly one of every 4,762 births. The condition has a recurrence rate of 2-5 percent in subsequent pregnancies.

Anna Raridon shared Scripture verses that have comforted her through this loss.

1 Peter 1:5-7: “who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

James 1:2-4: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

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