The San Francisco 49ers were hit by another family tragedy with the announcement that star left tackle Trent Williams‘ wife gave birth to a stillborn son late last week.
Sondra Williams announced on Instagram on Sunday that she gave birth to Trenton O’Brien Williams Jr. on Nov. 24. Williams also wrote that she was initially pregnant with twins and lost the other child earlier in the pregnancy.
“I can’t even begin to describe how I felt leaving the hospital without you,” she wrote. “Nor how it feels being home celebrating Thanksgiving without my baby in my arms. My heart is broken and my arms are empty. But I know you’ll always be near watching over me and your sisters. And for that, my heart smiles with gratitude. Thank God for allowing us to bond for 35 weeks and for me to birth you so I could hold you in my arms. I’m at peace knowing you will never have to suffer.”
Williams wrote that her son was diagnosed with Trisomy 13, a genetic condition also known as Patau syndrome that affects how the face, brain and heart develop, along with several other internal organs.
Trent Williams spent time last week at the hospital and grieving with his family, including the couple’s three young daughters.
“He was there at the hospital with her and got to meet him and say bye,” coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday. “Then he had to cremate him on Friday. So he’s been dealing with that and he’s working through it. But we’re all just trying to be here for him through it all.”
This is the second tragedy to hit the Niners in recent weeks. Cornerback Charvarius Ward’s 1-year-old daughter, Amani Joy, died on Oct. 28. She had been born prematurely with Down syndrome and had open-heart surgery in April 2023.
Ward spent a few weeks away from the team and returned to the field for the first time on Sunday.
Williams has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, but Shanahan said he is hoping to be able to return as soon as he’s healthy.
“It’s hard as a coach. It’s hard as a friend. It’s hard as a family member. It’s hard for everybody,” Shanahan said. “But we spend a lot of time with each other. That’s what’s cool about a football team. Whatever you go through, the good or the bad, we go through it together. I do like that they have a group of guys they can go to, a group of guys that can see them every day. You can never escape that full grief and stuff. But I do think it’s nice for those guys to have another avenue to get out on the football field, to get around teammates and things like that.”
Reporting by the Associated Press.
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