Anna Raridon, wife of rookie tight end Eli Raridon, announced the loss of the couple’s first child Tuesday afternoon.
“Our angel, Peter James Raridon, was born on September 11th,” a post on Anna’s Instagram account reads. “When Eli and I went in for our 20-week anatomy scan, excited to see our sweet baby boy, our hearts were forever changed.”
“Our little one was diagnosed with anencephaly, a fatal condition 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 nine months before he was called back to Heaven.”
Anna announced her pregnancy with a post on March 31.
“Half me, half you — fearfully and wonderfully made, thank you Jesus!!! baby Raridon arriving this fall,” she wrote.
She said in Tuesday’s post that she is leaning on her faith during this time.
“I have often found it easy to glorify the Lord when life is going well, but it is in our deepest trials that we are drawn closest to Him,” Anna wrote. “We may never understand the why behind this journey, but one thing we know with certainty is that God promises to care for his children.”
“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. 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.”
She shared bible verses from the books of Peter and James in the post, along with photos of the couple and other images.
1 Peter 1: 5-7 “who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time,” the post reads. “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes through it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
The couple celebrated their wedding in May of 2025. Peter was the couple’s first child.
The Patriots selected Eli Raridon in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-6-inch, 245-pound tight end caught a touchdown pass in the Patriots’ season opener in Seattle earlier this month. He also had a 30-yard catch in New England’s win against Pittsburgh. He was inactive last week against the Jaguars with a thigh injury.
Khari Thompson can be reached at khari.thompson@globe.com.