‘Absolutely devastated’: Patriots rookie tight end announces death of newborn son

New England Patriots rookie tight end Eli Raridon and his wife announced the loss of their first child.

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The couple shared a post on Instagram Tuesday, saying their son, Peter James Raridon, died as a result of anencephaly, a fatal birth defect in “which he would not survive outside the womb.”

“While we are absolutely devastated that we were unable to bring our baby boy home, I am grateful to have loved him deeply, kept him safe, and had been his home for the past 9 months before he was called back to Heaven,” Eli and his wife, Anna, said in a joint post.

The couple said Peter was diagnosed during a 20-week anatomy scan.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anencephaly is a serious birth defect where, during pregnancy, the neural tube that helps form the baby’s brain, skull, spine and backbone does not close all the way. At birth, babies with anencephaly often do not have a front part of their brain, a cerebrum or bone or skin covering the brain.

The CDC said about 1 in every 4,762 babies is born with anencephaly in the United States. There is no cure or treatment.

“I believe our little boy was lovingly knitted together in the womb by God, knowing how deeply he would be loved by our families, our friends, Eli, and me,” the post read. “Though his time with us was brief, his life still precious, his purpose still meaningful, and he will forever be a part of our story.”

The post continued, saying, “I have loved you every second of your life & will miss you every second of mine. What a sweet sweet reunion ours will be.”