Jill Duggar Dillard and Husband Derick Announce Stillbirth of First Daughter

White Gypsophila flowers in a stock photo. sakhorn/Shutterstock

Jill Dillard (née Duggar)—who rose to fame on the TLC reality television series “19 Kids and Counting” that followed the lives of her parents and their large family—is mourning the loss of her first daughter, Isla Marie, with her husband, Derick Dillard.

The couple took to Instagram on April 13 to share that their daughter died in the womb at just four months gestation.

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the stillbirth of our beautiful baby girl, Isla Marie Dillard. Jill was 4 months pregnant (due in August) when we found out that our baby died in utero,” Mr. Dillard captioned in a joint post alongside a photo of the couple holding their stillborn daughter.

“From the moment we found out we were pregnant, we couldn’t wait to meet our baby. Isla was much loved from the start, and her 3 big brothers were so excited to introduce her to their world,” the statement continued.

“We appreciate your prayers as we continue to grieve and heal from the loss of our little Isla Marie,” the couple concluded.

The Dillards

Mrs. Dillard, the fourth child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s 19 children, married Mr. Dillard, now an assistant district attorney for the state of Oklahoma, in June 2014. The wedding ceremony was televised as part of the reality series in an episode entitled “Jill’s Wedding.”

The couple went on to have their first son, Israel David—who recently celebrated his ninth birthday—in April 2015, followed by their second son, 6-year-old Samuel Scott, in July 2017, per People.

After becoming pregnant with their third child, the Dillards penned a blog post shared to their website in October 2021, revealing that they had suffered a miscarriage.

“We recently found out that we were expecting our third baby. We were all thrilled! It was fun to see so much joy in the boys’ faces as we shared the news with them. They were full of questions and so excited as we talked about the pregnancy and how they would get to be involved along the way and after baby was born. However, a few days later we started miscarrying,” the couple wrote.

“Even though it was too early to tell the baby’s gender, we picked a name that we feel encompasses our baby’s significance and the life we will always remember: River Bliss Dillard,” they continued.

“Our baby doesn’t get to live here with us on earth, but is forever with the source of the river of life, in the presence of the Lord! And we chose Bliss for a middle name because our baby is living in perfect bliss with the Lord and was such a gift that brought immense joy and happiness to us even though only with us here on earth for a short time,” the husband and wife shared.

Following their miscarriage, the Arkansas natives welcomed their third son, Frederick “Freddy” Michael, in July 2022.

The Dillards shared the meaning behind their son’s name in a July 11 blog post published four days after his birth, writing, “Frederick means ‘Peaceful Ruler’ and Michael means ‘Gift from God.’”

‘19 Kids and Counting’

TLC’s hit reality series launched in 2008, airing for 10 seasons until it was canceled in 2015 after a 2006 police report resurfaced alleging Josh Duggar—the Duggars’ eldest child—had molested multiple underage girls as a young teenager, some of whom were his sisters, Business Insider reported.

In December 2015, the cable television network premiered a spin-off of the show, “Counting On,” which chronicled the lives of the oldest Duggar children, including Mrs. Dillard, as they raised their own families.

Following an 11-season run, the network revealed in June 2021 that it would not produce any new episodes of “Counting On.” The announcement came two months after Mr. Josh Duggar was arrested on federal charges of receiving and possessing child pornography, per USA Today.

Mr. Josh Duggar, who pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, was ultimately convicted in December 2021 and was sentenced the following May to 12.5 years in prison.

The day after his sentencing, the Dillards released a statement on their website, writing that “the last several weeks and months [had] been difficult emotionally.”

“We are neither rejoicing nor disappointed by the sentence, but we are thankful it’s finally over. The Bible clearly states that God effects justice and vengeance through the governing authorities. Though some believe Josh should have received a greater sentence and still fewer believe he should have received a lighter sentence, God has carried out his vengeance today for his unspeakable criminal activity,” Mr. and Mrs. Dillard penned.

“Until now, he has yet to be held accountable to the extent necessary to cause change in his dangerous pattern of behavior. It is unfortunate, but it seems that it may take spending over a decade in federal prison, and still more on probation, for Josh to have any potential for rehabilitation to the point he can safely live in society again,” they continued.