New England Patriots tight end Eli Raridon and his wife, Anna, are dealing with an unimaginable loss for any parent – the death of a child.
Eli and Anna announced in a Sept. 29 post on Instagram that they have lost their first child, Peter James. The Raridons child was diagnosed with anencephaly at their 20-week check-in.
It is a fatal condition where a baby is without parts of the brain and skull at birth with no cure or treatment, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Here's what the couple shared, in its entirety:
Our angel, Peter James Raridon, was born on September 11th🪽
When Eli and I went in for our 20-week anatomy scan, excited to see our sweet baby boy, our hearts were forever changed. 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.
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. 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 & will miss you every second of mine. What a sweet sweet reunion ours will be🤍
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.”
Eli and Anna got married on May 25, 2025, and announced on March 31, 2026, that they were expecting the birth of their first child.
"Half me, half you— fearfully & wonderfully made, thank you Jesus!!! baby Raridon arriving this fall," the couple posted on Instagram with a series of pictures.
Raridon was drafted in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the 95th overall pick by the New England Patriots after four seasons at Notre Dame.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Patriots' Eli Raridon and wife announce the heartbreaking death of their son
