Joy-Anna Duggar and Austin Forsyth are relying on their faith and their family to get them through a difficult time. The couple has suffered an unimaginable loss. Joy-Anna was pregnant with her second child. When she went in for her ultrasound and gender reveal at 20 weeks, the Counting On star was told that her baby wasn't moving and had no heartbeat. She shared the devastating news with fans on her and Austin's joint Instagram account.
In the post, Joy-Anna revealed that the couple decided to name their little girl Annabell Elise. Family and friends have rallied around the couple, who are already parents to 1-year-old Gideon. The couple has noted that their faith is helping them get by, filling them with "unexplainable peace and comfort during this very difficult time." They decided to commemorate Annabell's life by having photos taken with their stillborn baby girl. They've shared these heartbreaking photos with their fans.
Fans of Joy-Anna Duggar and Austin Forsyth were so happy for the couple when they announced they were expecting their second child. The Counting On stars revealed they would welcome baby No. 2 in November of this year.
The news was exciting for the couple, who are already parents to 1-year-old son Gideon. Gideon was born in February 2018. He came exactly nine months after Joy-Anna and Austin were married in May 2017.
The news was also exciting because Joy-Anna and Austin were one of four Duggar couples expecting babies this November. Joseph and Kendra, Josiah and Lauren, and Joshua and Anna are also expecting.
Sadly, Joy-Anna and Austin received devastating news. At their 20-week ultrasound, they learned their baby girl wasn't moving and had no heartbeat. The news of their baby's death was indescribable for the couple.
Upon sharing the news with fans in an Instagram post, Joy-Anna revealed they chose to name their little girl Annabell Elise. "Annabell means 'God has favored me', and Elise means 'God satisfies'. What a precious thing to know that when our daughter opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the face of Jesus," she wrote.
Joy-Anna's parents, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar, know the pain of miscarriage all too well. They suffered a very similar loss. In late 2011, Michelle miscarried during what would be her final pregnancy at about 17 weeks. It was also a little girl.
Josiah and Lauren, who are currently expecting, have also suffered loss. Lauren suffered a miscarriage last October when the couple was expecting their first child. They named the baby girl Asa and incorporated her memory into the announcement of their second pregnancy.
Two days after making the announcement, Joy-Anna followed up by posting photos of her and Austin holding their little girl. They had photos taken with the baby to commemorate her short yet precious life. Michelle and sister Jill were also there and featured in a photo.
"We only had her for 20 weeks, Life is fragile and precious. So thankful the Lord gave her to us for that short time! She will be in our hearts forever! ," Joy-Anna wrote. She thanked fans for the outpouring of love and support.
Joy-Anna also thanked her friend, Carlin Bates, for coming to her side. "Thank you, @carlinbates98 for coming to town to be here for me and for doing my hair and makeup for pictures with our little girl! ." The couple attended Carlin's wedding shortly after announcing the pregnancy.
Carlin posted her own tribute to her dear friend during this difficult time. She wrote:
“I wish there were words to express how broken hearted I am for my best friend. Seeing her give birth to her little girl, Annabell Elise, and knowing that she would never be able to hold her again while on earth just brings tears to my eyes. Yet, through it all, she has been so strong and held on to Jesus, knowing that we will see her little baby in heaven one day.”
The miscarriage came at an already difficult time for the Duggar family. It was less than a month ago that they lost the family matriarch, grandmother Mary Duggar, in a drowning accident. She was 78 years old.
Although this kind of loss is incredibly difficult to endure, Joy-Anna and Austin are keeping in good spirits. Their faith in Jesus leads them to believe they will be reunited with their little girl again, a comfort that helps them move forward.
They are blessed to be surrounded by a wonderful support system in their family and friends. They also have a fan base that feels like family and will lift them in thoughts and prayers as they move forward.
