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Patrick Murtagh and Hannah Orval Announce Stillbirth of Son Meelo

Their public Instagram posts show a private loss played out on social media and underline the couple’s deep grief.

Overview

  • The couple posted on Instagram that their baby, Meelo Michael Murtagh, was born early and “sleeping,” a message first shared on Friday, July 31, that confirmed the child’s stillbirth.
  • In a joint statement they called being a family “irreplaceable” even for a day and said the brief time with Meelo will remain central to their story.
  • Orval posted a personal letter on her Instagram Stories describing meeting Meelo — noting his “little fingers, little toes” and calling childbirth “the most sacred thing” she has experienced.
  • The pregnancy was publicly announced on May 2 and described by the couple as a “rainbow baby,” and reporting has noted Murtagh’s public profile as an Australian athlete who has spent time with NFL teams and the AFL’s Gold Coast Suns.
  • No medical details or institutional statements have been released and current coverage is based on the couple’s social-media posts, which means privacy and few additional facts are likely in the near term while friends and family grieve.