Local fertility expert hopes Foles miscarriage story will comfort others
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Tori Foles, wife of Superbowl LII M.V.P. Nick Foles, shared a brave and emotional post on social media Wednesday announcing the devastating details after suffering a miscarriage over the weekend.
The post says at 15 weeks, she miscarried their 2nd child - a baby boy. "The emotions go back and forth from immense and overwhelming sadness, confusion and anger to a firm belief that God has this fully in his hands," she wrote.
Dr. Michael Glassner at Main Line Fertility says, unfortunately, miscarriage is common.
It happens in about 20 percent of known pregnancies and 80 percent occur within the first 12 weeks. One of the most common causes is abnormal chromosomes.
Foles says she had a virus, then an infection of pneumonia found in the blood.
Dr. Glassner reassures this is very rare.
"People get colds, infections, pnuemonia, and it doesn't mean they are going to miscarry. But if the infection gets out of hand, and becomes septic where the infection goes into the bloodstream that can cause a miscarriage. It's rare and devastating, but it does happen," he said.
He and his family know that devastation first-hand.
"I have been a compassionate doctor for 30 years, but until you see your wife go through that, it's devastating," he said, adding that the loss sticks with you no matter if it happened at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 15 weeks or later.
"I will tell you no matter how life turns out, no matter how many children Nick and his wife have, there will always be a missing part, a little hole in her heart. The day she lost the pregnancy will always be a sad day for her," he said.
But bravely sharing their story will help others.
"It gives people solace to know that there are others experiencing this and are grieving in the same way because it is very clear in the pain that she was feeling," he said.
Tori Foles received thousands of comments, condolences and messages of support and people sharing similar struggles.
Dr. Glassner says there really isn't anything you can say that will help someone going through this, but he says the best thing you can do for someone who has suffered a miscarriage is just to be there for them and to listen.
