James Van Der Beek has reflected on the two of the devastating pregnancy losses that he and his wife, Kimberley, endured – and how they recovered from their grief.
The 45-year-old Dawson’s Creek star has been married to Kimberley since 2010 and together they are parents to 11-year-old Olivia, 10-year-old Joshua, eight-year-old Annabel, six-year-old Emilia, four-year-old Gwendolyn and youngest son Jeremiah - who was born in November last year.
The couple decided to keep the news of their most recent pregnancy with Jeremiah private after suffering two devastating losses - while the star has reduced fans to tears in the past by describing the heartbreak he felt following further miscarriages.
James and Kimberley were heartbroken in November 2019 when they lost a child during pregnancy, and they suffered agony agin in June 2020 with the loss of another child during pregnancy.
Taking to Instagram on Friday, James reflected on the difficulties he and Kimberley faced - and offered advice to those going through similar experiences.
Uploading a number of photos of his family, the TV star wrote: “Pic #1: December ‘19. Pic #2: August ‘22.
“Pic #1 we had just lost a baby 18 weeks into pregnancy and almost lost @vanderkimberly in the process. I had a collaboration going south, rapidly.
“And I’d just been booted off a reality dancing competition I’d been favored to win. (I feel like three out of those four are fairly relatable).
“So, last minute, we rented an #RV, and headed north. No real plan, just day-to-day. Late one night we pulled into a quaint little RV park I’d booked a few hours earlier, and woke up next to this river.”
He continued: “And thus began the process - not necessarily of healing - but of being present.
“Present to the pain. Present to the beauty around us. And present to the acceptance of being in a process I did not understand.”
He went on: “2 ½ years later, after another late-term pregnancy loss, after that project blew up completely, after we moved to a new state and got our own RV… we came back to that same spot. With a brand new baby boy.”
He continued further: “Reflecting back on that first trip, I’m astounded by how much I didn’t know about the path to where I am now… and by how much peace I was able to feel in the midst of that darkness.
:Whatever you’re going through… if you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, or even know where to look for it… I invite you to not underestimate the power of a little change of environment… and of taking the time to sit exactly where you’re at.”
James added: “Healing comes at its own pace. Presence might just be a pre-requisite.”
His words were met with positive comments and words of encouragement, with one follower typing: “I always look forward to reading your posts. You have no idea how much I needed this today. Thank you.”
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webcelebs@mirror.co.uk or call us direct at 0207 293 3033.
