New England Patriots tight end Eli Raridon will report to work on Wednesday, almost definitely with a heavy heart.
The rookie out of Notre Dame and his wife, Anna Raridon, announced Tuesday that they lost their baby boy to anencephaly, a fatal birth defect that stops the forebrain and cerebrum from forming in the womb.
There is no cure or standard treatment for the condition. About 75% of affected pregnancies end in stillbirth. Infants born alive usually pass away within a few hours or days.
Devastating.
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“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.”
What comes next is a mother who, rather than getting lost in the unspeakable pain of losing a baby, chose to lean into her faith during a time of deep tribulation.
“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.”
And then the Raridons left a message for their baby boy:
“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🤍”
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The CDC Data and Statistics on Birth Defects reports that about 1 in every 4,762 is born with anencephaly. That is roughly .02% of live births.
But while the defect is not necessarily common it is quite personal. Literature states that the recurrence rate after one pregnancy is affected by anencephaly jumps dramatically to between 2%-5%.
And while that means there is a 95%-98% chance the Raridons will never be touched by this condition again, their concern must be real.
Anna Raridon shared Scripture she is leaning on to get her through this terrible time:
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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.”
And this:
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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