Jessa Duggar Seawald and her husband, Ben Seawald, are mourning the tragic death of their newborn son, River Michael Seawald, who passed away just days after his birth. According to a detailed and heartbreaking account, Jessa experienced a partial placental abruption during her third trimester, which required an emergency C-section. The baby boy was born alive but in severe distress and was immediately taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where he passed away 36 hours later.
The couple, who had kept the pregnancy relatively private after a previous miscarriage in 2022, announced their devastating loss in an Instagram post featuring a photo of an empty bassinet. Jessa wrote, “Our hearts are shattered,” and asked for prayers as they navigate their grief. The news prompted a rare moment of unified public support from the Duggar family, with parents Jim Bob and Michelle issuing a statement and estranged sister Jill Dillard offering condolences.
The announcement was met with an immediate and overwhelming outpouring of love and support from the public, with thousands of fans sending messages of sympathy. The Seawalds have since stepped away from social media to grieve privately with their four other young children. They reportedly held a small, private memorial for River, and are leaning on their faith and each other to get through this unimaginable loss.
