Actor James Van Der Beek Shares Heartbreaking Post After Wife Suffers 5th Miscarriage
James and Kimberly Van Der Beek are veteran parents, with a gorgeous family of seven. They have five children ages 1 to 9, but their hearts have known 10.
James, an actor on “Dawson’s Creek” and contestant on “Dancing with the Stars” alongside Emma Slater, revealed in October 2019 that he and his wife had lost three much-anticipated little lives over the course of their time together. According to one post, the family said they wanted to help dispel the guilt-inducing stigma surrounding miscarriages by being open about their own losses.
About a month later, before a performance, the actor gave a sad update on their pregnancy.
“It’s every expectant parent’s worst nightmare,” Van Der Beek said, according to USA Today. “We lost the baby. The little soul we expected to welcome into our family took the shortcut to whatever lies beyond.”
While expressing his desire for his wife’s recovery, he also acknowledged that it would take them some time to process and grieve.
“Wrecked. Devastated. In shock. That’s how we’re feeling right now,” Van Der Beek posted on Instagram. “But we’ve only just begun unpacking the layers of this one.
“As many of you have said, ‘There are no words…’ and it’s true. Which is why in a time like this it’s enough to know that you’re there. Grieving AND counting our blessings today.”
Kimberly Van Der Beek thanked her followers and fans for their support, and according to USA Today shared in an Instagram story that she’d nearly died during the ordeal.
“In 48 hours we lost our baby boy by the way, and I almost lost my life, which is not a story that has been told, but at some point I can dig into the details with you guys about what happened in the emergency room.”
Now, just months after announcing their fourth loss, the family is reeling from yet another blow, equally devastating and heartbreaking — if not more so, because they’ve been here before.
“After suffering a brutal, very public miscarriage last November, we were overjoyed to learn we were pregnant,” James shared on the day before Father’s Day. “This time, we kept the news to ourselves.
“But last weekend, once again, 17 weeks in… the soul we’d been excited to welcome into the world had lessons for our family that did not include joining us in a living physical body.”
After a brutal miscarriage last November, we were overjoyed to learn we were pregnant. But once again, 17 weeks in, the soul we’d been excited to welcome to the world had lessons for our family that did not include joining us in a living physical body… https://t.co/5Cf1zeFLbE
— James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) June 20, 2020
The loss took its toll on Kimberly, not only emotionally but physically, and she had to be rushed to the hospital and underwent blood transfusions to preserve her life.
“I stood by, grateful for the good people who navigated the maze of regulations to save her life — but helpless to do much for the woman I loved other than massage her feet and try to keep her warm,” James continued in his post.
During those terrifying hours, the actor experienced some clarity in the form of a message he thought the world, in general, could use.
“We’ve got to take better care of each other,” he wrote. “The world is in pain right now. There’s denial, shock, numbness, anger — all the old patterns we cling to when deep trauma is unearthed. And there are no words to ease that pain … to make the process hurt less or to solve it quickly.”
“But the way out of it? Starts with an open, broken-hearted contemplation of this question: How can we take better care of each other?”
“And to all the families who have gone through this … you are not alone.”
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