New England Patriots
“It was so hard to leave her. But when I walked outside it started to rain and it brought me joy to know she’ll always be with me.”
Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai missed New England’s road game against the Bengals on Nov. 23 and several practices with what the team labeled as a personal matter.
Taking to social media late Wednesday night, Tavai’s partner, Kalei Mau, shared that the couple have been mourning the loss of their unborn daughter, Ka ua, following a medical emergency.
Here’s what Mau posted on Instagram:
“I got an extremely rare blood infection. On November 20, I was placed in a medically induced coma after I was found unresponsive in my bed. I was asleep for six days. Unfortunately, with my organs failing and the sickness infecting my placenta, our baby passed away in my womb.
“Hours later, my body went into natural labor and Jahlani watched me deliver our baby unconscious. He said it was like my body just knew what to do.
“Her name is Ka ua, which means ‘The Rain’ in Olelo O Hawai’i. And with Ka ua, everything grows. By the grace of God and the power of prayer, I woke up and it was clear what I had to continue to live for. Thank you, Jesus.
“The day after I got out of the hospital, I got to kiss my daughter for the first and last time. She was perfect to me. It was so hard to leave her. But when I walked outside it started to rain and it brought me joy to know she’ll always be with me.”
Mau also thanked both the staff at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Patriots organization for supporting her and her family during such a difficult time.
“This is such a special team I’m honored to be a part of,” she wrote. “I’m home now healing and still processing but with a grateful heart.”
The Patriots rallied around Tavai during his time away from the team.
During New England’s win over the Bengals last month, Patriots tight end Hunter Henry dedicated his touchdown catch to Tavai. The Patriots roster also FaceTimed with Tavai from the locker room at Paycor Stadium after securing that win in Cincinnati.
“We just wanted him to know how much we love him, how much we care for him, and how much we care for everything he’s got going on, so I’m going to take a lot of pride,” Henry said postgame of Tavai. “We’re brothers. I’ve been playing with him for a few years now and gotten close with him. Just wanted him to know he’s loved.”
After Tavai returned to the lineup for New England’s Monday Night Football matchup against the Giants on Dec. 1, Mike Vrabel appointed the linebacker as a game captain — and later let Tavai break down the team huddle in the locker room after the win.
“These guys have built a bond that I want to try to just help nurture and help grow throughout the team,” Vrabel said. “Jahlani is somebody like that. You see everybody reaching out and caring for each other, not just him. But it was great to see him out there, play defense, help us on special teams. He made some plays and contributed to us winning.”
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Conor Ryan
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