Make New York Post a Preferred Source Patriots rookie tight end Eli Raridon and his wife, Anna, are mourning the loss of their newborn son, Peter James, after he was diagnosed during pregnancy with a fatal birth defect.
The couple recently announced the news in a joint Instagram post, revealing that Peter was born less than a month ago on Sept. 11.
During Anna’s 20-week anatomy scan, doctors diagnosed their son with anencephaly, a severe birth defect where major portions of the brain and skull do not properly develop.
The condition currently has no known cure or standard treatment, and babies born with it typically die shortly after birth.
View this post on Instagram Peter was the couple’s first child.
Eli and Anna got married in spring 2025 and announced the following March that they were expecting a baby this fall.
“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 9 months before he was called back to Heaven,” Anna wrote on Instagram.
Eli Raridon (82) runs onto the field prior to the the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium on September 20, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Getty Images “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. 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.”
She later added, “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.
I have loved you every second of your life & will miss you every second of mine. What a sweet sweet reunion ours will be.”
The Patriots selected the former Notre Dame tight end in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft at No. 95 overall.
The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Raridon made an immediate impact, catching a touchdown in New England’s season opener against Seattle and later recording a 30-yard reception in a win over Pittsburgh.
He was inactive for the Patriots’ most recent game against Jacksonville because of a thigh injury.
