New England Patriots tight end Eli Raridon and his wife, Anna, are mourning the death of their newborn son after learning months earlier that he had a fatal birth condition.
The couple announced Tuesday that their son, Peter James Raridon, was born on Sept. 11 after being diagnosed during pregnancy with anencephaly.
Peter was the couple’s first child.
“Our angel, Peter James Raridon, was born on September 11th,” Eli and Anna wrote in an emotional statement announcing their loss.
The couple said their lives changed during the 20-week anatomy scan, when they went in expecting a routine look at their baby boy and instead received devastating news.
Doctors diagnosed Peter with anencephaly, a severe birth defect in which major portions of the brain and skull fail to develop.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anencephaly happens when the upper portion of the neural tube does not close properly very early in pregnancy. Babies born with the condition are missing parts of the brain and skull, and almost all die shortly after birth. There is no known cure or standard treatment.
The CDC estimates that roughly 1 in 4,762 babies in the United States is born with anencephaly.
Despite knowing the diagnosis, Anna carried Peter through the pregnancy.
She wrote that although the couple was devastated they could not bring their son home, she remained grateful for the months she was able to carry him.
Anna said she took comfort in knowing Peter had been deeply loved throughout his brief life.
“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,” she wrote.
She ended the message by telling her son she had loved him for every second of his life and would miss him for every second of hers.
The couple had publicly announced the pregnancy in March, sharing photos from the beach while revealing that their first child was expected in the fall.
At the time, they wrote that the baby was “fearfully & wonderfully made” and thanked Jesus for the pregnancy.
Raridon, 22, and Anna have been together since their high school years.
They announced their engagement in August 2024 and married on May 25, 2025.
Less than a year later, they were preparing to become parents for the first time.
Raridon is a tight end with the New England Patriots.
The 6-foot-7 football player played college football at Notre Dame before beginning his NFL career.
The couple’s announcement quickly drew messages of support from friends, fans and members of the football community following news of Peter’s death.
The circumstances surrounding anencephaly can be especially difficult for families because the condition is frequently identified during pregnancy.
It develops extremely early, when the neural tube — the structure that eventually forms the brain and spinal cord — fails to close completely.
The CDC says researchers do not know every cause of neural tube defects. Certain factors can increase risk, although having a baby with anencephaly does not necessarily mean any specific factor was responsible.
For Eli and Anna, their public message focused not on the diagnosis itself, but on the time they had with their son and the place he will continue to hold in their family.
Peter James Raridon was born Sept. 11.
His parents said that while his life was brief, he will “forever be a part of our story.”