Although every prenatal test had shown a healthy fetus, “So You Think You Can Dance” alum Brooklyn Larsen lost her infant son over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
“We arrived at the hospital, full of excitement, only to be told the devastating news that they couldn’t find his heartbeat,” Larsen posted jointly with her husband, Tanner Larsen.
“Our hearts are completely shattered. Our perfect little boy didn’t make it.”
Brooklyn Larsen, who has a son named Rome from a previous marriage, was a ballroom dancer on season 11 of “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2017, where she landed in the top 16.
“The following couple of hours were a complete blur,” Larsen wrote. “It didn’t make sense. Every single checkup, every ultrasound, every test had shown nothing but a healthy baby.”
“A stillbirth often sets a precedent in a family, shaping how they approach life, grief, and even joy,” perinatal depression, anxiety, and mood disorder specialist Rachel Goldberg told The Epoch Times on Dec. 1.
The Larsens posted black and white photos of themselves at the hospital crying and holding their stillborn son’s tiny hand.
“He was always measuring big, always moving, always so active,” the couple’s post stated. “We never imagined that this could happen. In an instant, our best day became our worst.”
“Memorializing the baby, such as through a keepsake or a ceremony, may provide a sense of closure,” licensed therapist and founder of the EMDR Center of Denver Jeanne Cross told The Epoch Times on Dec. 1.
“Practicing self-compassion, having consistent support, and allowing time to heal without judgment is crucial.”
Both parents spent 12 hours with the lifeless infant.
“At 11:23am on Monday morning, Brooklyn delivered our son in less than 9 minutes. 8 lbs 10 oz of pure perfection. ... Holding him, memorizing every feature of his, feeling his spirit—he was everything we had dreamed of,” Tanner Larsen shared on Instagram.
“There are many women who blame themselves, even though the circumstances were completely outside of their control, and this has a deep impact on their psychological and emotional wellbeing,” Elreacy Dock, Las Vegas certified grief educator and Capstone University thanatology adjunct professor, told The Epoch Times on Dec. 1.
A thanatologist is a specialist in the scientific study of death, dying, grief, loss, and bereavement.
Seeking therapy or support groups is one way to process the loss and feel understood, according to Shirley Shani Ben Zvi, a Georgia-based couples and family therapist who specializes in grief and loss.
“We don’t overcome grief; we learn to live with it, and it becomes a piece of the puzzle that is us and our lives,” Ben Zvi told The Epoch Times on Dec. 1.
“The one common ground is finding out how you want to be in the world after the loss. Talk to a professional, go to a support group, find a place to formulate that.”
Larsen did not respond to requests for comment.
“The greatest suffering for a mother in that loss is through the guilt she puts upon herself by placing the blame at her own feet,” grief coach Jock Brocas told The Epoch Times on Dec. 1.
