Anna and Eli Raridon are mourning the loss of their first child, a son named Peter James Raridon, who died shortly after he was born on September 11 due to a rare and fatal birth defect called anencephaly. The couple shared the news together in a social media post, a devastating coda to a pregnancy that began with hope in the spring and ended in heartbreak just weeks into Eli Raridon's rookie season with the New England Patriots.
“Our angel, Peter James Raridon, was born on September 11th,” Anna wrote, according to the Boston Globe. The couple's announcement, posted jointly, came after they learned during Anna's 20-week anatomy scan that their son had anencephaly, a condition in which, as she put it, he faced “a fatal condition in which he would not survive outside the womb.” Peter died shortly after his birth as a result of the diagnosis, E! News reported, citing the joint Instagram post the couple shared.
Anna described the agony of carrying her son for nine months only to lose him, writing that she was grateful to have loved him deeply, kept him safe, and had been his home for that time, per the Boston Globe. She said she was devastated that she could not bring her baby boy home, but added that his brief life still carried meaning and purpose for their family, according to Boston 25 News.
What Anencephaly Means for Families
Anencephaly is a birth defect in which a baby is born without parts of the brain and skull, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as cited by KCCI. The condition occurs when the neural tube that helps form a baby's brain, skull, spine and backbone does not close all the way during pregnancy, the station reported, citing the same federal agency. There is no cure or treatment, per that reporting, and researchers with the CDC estimate that roughly one in every 4,762 babies born in the United States is affected by it.
Anna announced her pregnancy publicly back on March 31, months before the couple would learn of their son's diagnosis. She and Eli were married in May 2025, having first met while attending Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, according to the Boston Globe's reporting.
A Rookie Season Overshadowed by Loss
Eli Raridon, 22, is a rookie tight end for the Patriots, selected in the third round, 95th overall, of the 2026 NFL Draft, according to his New England Patriots roster profile. He played four seasons at Notre Dame, where he caught 48 passes for 623 yards and three touchdowns across 40 games, per the same team biography. He suited up for New England's game against Pittsburgh on September 20, just over a week after his son was born, and has caught two passes for 32 yards and a touchdown through two games with the Patriots.
The announcement drew reaction beyond New England's football circles. NFL reporter Armando Salguero, writing on social media, called the news heartbreaking for the couple, underscoring how the loss has resonated well past the team's own fan base.
