NFL player Dalton Risner and wife, Whitney, have suffered two pregnancy losses in just a few months.
“At 16 weeks, Dalton and I found out we lost our sweet baby boy. I wish I was writing any other post than this right now, “ Whitney, 28, shared via a joint Instagram post with her husband, 31, on Friday, July 17. “I never imagined our journey to starting a family would begin like this. This is our second loss in just a couple of months.”
Whitney, who married the Cincinnati Bengals offensive guard in June 2022, went on to thank her husband for his support amid the couple’s heartbreak. “More than ever, I’ve realized how important it is who you marry and choose to walk through life with. Life is hard in so many different ways. I truly can’t imagine getting through this without my rock and best friend, @dalton_risner66,” she wrote before discussing how her most recent miscarriage has impacted her.
“This loss has introduced me to a depth of pain and heartbreak that I never knew existed. It feels like I’ve lost so much … our precious baby boy, pieces of myself, and the future I had planned out for the past 4 months,” she wrote. “To everyone who has prayed for us, checked in on us, and loved us through this journey to starting a family, thank you. We are so grateful for your kindness.”
The jewelry designer concluded, “If you’re walking this same painful road, I want you to know that you are not alone.”
During a June interview for The Cincinnati Enquirer‘s “Beyond Sunday” podcast, Whitney talked about a collection she had crafted, titled “The Forever Collection,” in light of her pregnancy losses. “My husband and I experienced pregnancy loss this past season, and I was sitting there thinking about having something to show for it,” she told host Kelsey Conway of the pieces designed with a pear-shaped diamond to represent a mother and a round diamond to represent a child. “You go through this really hard, extensive process of not only losing your baby, but things that follow that you have to go through and grasp. And then you’re kind of left with nothing.”
The Risners’ social media announcement of their losses also included photos taken from a pregnancy shoot that was intended to reveal Whitney’s most recent pregnancy.
In the snaps, the couple smiled on a beach with their dog as their furry pet licked at a white celebratory cake.
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