Star AFL player, Gary Rohan’s baby has tragically passed away shortly after birth.
Rohan’s wife Amie gave birth to two girls they named Bella and Willow on Thursday. While mum and Bella are doing well, the 26-year-old Sydney Swans player took to social media to pay tribute to the daughter Willow who they tragically lost due to a rare condition.
“The most perfect little souls we have ever laid eyes on, we feel so truly blessed to be your parents, ” the first-time dad penned next to a photo of his wife and their two girls taken soon after delivery.
“Amie, Bella and I soaked up every second we had with Willow, making as many lasting memories as we could all together. Its those little moments we know we will never get back, and we will forever cherish the time we spent as our little family of four, before our darling Willow grew her little angel wings.”
“Bella is currently getting some special care in the NICU nursery but all in all doing very well.”
“We can’t thank our team at the Royal Woman’s enough, yesterday was one off the hardest days Amie and I have ever had to deal with. It was a day full of many mixed emotions and you, our team, made everything so perfect. Words truly can’t express how grateful we are.”
“To absolutely everyone else, thank you so very much for your kind words and support during this sad, happy, joyful and exciting time in our lives we are very proud parents off two beautiful little girls who we love so very much.”
“Our little angel Willow, oh how much you taught us in your precious 5 hours here ‘A life so brief, a child so small, you had the power to touch us all’,” he concluded the post.
Previously Gary explained to fans on social media that one of his babies lives was “destined to be cut short” as she was diagnosed with anencephaly.
Anencephaly is a serious defect in the development of a baby’s brain, skull and scalp, meaning the baby will be born without a major portion of the brain.
“Babies born with anencephaly are not compatible with life,” Rohan wrote at the time.
“Since our brain tells our heart to beat, our lungs to breath, our legs to move and so on, these babies live from a few moments to a few hours after birth.”
The AFL player and his wife Amie have shown incredible strength during their pregnancy journey.
Gary, who married Amie in a ceremony on Hamilton Island said they had known about the baby’s condition since the 11 week scan. He revealed since they learnt the baby’s diagnosis they had struggled with the decision to go public with their situation, but in the end decided they should be transparent for the sake of their unborn baby and their own journey as parents.
Our thoughts are with the young family and we wish them all the very best.
