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Jill Duggar shares three living sons with husband Derick Dillard.
She has also suffered two miscarriages over the years.
As Jill continues to grieve, she is well aware that she is not alone in mourning children who might have been.
She shared a tribute — not only to her two miscarriages, but to others who have experienced similar family tragedies.
Jill Duggar knows that she is not alone in her grief
On Tuesday, October 6, Jill Dillard took to her Instagram page to share photos and a serious message.
“October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month,” she began.
“And,” Jill continued, “it hits close to home for us”
She explained: “since this past weekend was also the anniversary of our 1st miscarriage.”
Jill asked: “Did you know that 1 in 4 pregnancies end in loss? It affects far more families than most realize.”
Many cultures and religions do not bestow names during pregnancy, but wait until birth — or even later. Not so with Jill and Derick.
In October 2021, Jill suffered a miscarriage. She named her would-be son River Bliss Dillard.
Then, in March of 2024, Jill suffered another miscarriage. Her daughter would have been Isla Marie Dillard.
One necklace in Jill’s photo shows a pair of pendants symbolizing the two children whom she never got to meet.
The other shows five letters — seemingly one initial for each of her three children (Israel, Samuel, and Frederick) and one for River and one for Isla.
‘Boy mom x3 on earth with 2 babies safe in the arms of Jesus’
“A little love can go a long way,” Jill Duggar then suggested as her caption continued.
“If you know someone walking through loss,” she wrote, “or who previously walked through loss.”
Jill suggested that followers “reach out to them and just let them know you love them & you’re thinking of them.”
She even suggested that fans might want to tag someone who has suffered such a loss.
We don’t mean to speak for those who have endured miscarriages, but not everyone would appreciate being reached out to in this manner. Even more would bristle at being tagged. This is a very sensitive topic, and feelings may vary widely.
Jill added words that acknowledged her role as a mother as well as her grief.
“Boy mom x3 on earth,” she described herself, “with 2 babies safe in the arms of Jesus.”
Jill wrote: “River Bliss Dillard 10/3/2021, Isla Marie Dillard 3/19/2024.”
Miscarriages might happen so early that the person was not aware that they were pregnant — or even that they had a miscarriage. They can also be a source of enduring trauma, especially if they happen repeatedly (or if, as in the case of Jill, the expecting parent believes them to be persons even at early stages of gestation.)
Our hearts go out to Jill and to all who share this often private, too often misunderstood grief.
