Aberdeen FC’s chief executive has spoken about his family’s heartbreak after his wife suffered a second miscarriage.
Alan Burrows shared a lengthy post online describing how he and his wife Emma discovered they had lost their unborn child.
The couple were thrilled to learn they were expecting their second child in August, a younger sibling for their daughter Eva.
However, at their 12-week scan, doctors informed them they had lost the baby.
Their heartache comes just 12 months after the couple suffered another miscarriage.
‘The pain of it was intense’
Opening up about their sad journey, Alan praised his wife for her incredible bravery and strength.
In a post, published on the X platform, the football boss said their hearts have been left “shattered”.
He wrote: “It was a year ago today that Emma and I were told that we had lost our baby unexpectedly.
“We went for a 12-week scan full of hope, excitement and anticipation of our family growing, and Eva being a big sister, only to have that shattered. Complications arose afterwards too, but my wife was incredibly brave and strong to get through it in hospital.
“The pain of it was intense, even more so for Emma. It was difficult for me too, but nothing can compare to her. And it is again today.
“Sadly, we experienced the same thing again just last summer, and all in all, it’s been a pretty tough twelve months for both of us, coping with that and other changes.
“One thing that really struck me, as we have both been quite open about what happened on both occasions, was the amount of folk who very kindly reached out in sympathy, explaining it had happened to them too and offering support.
“In fact, I was taken aback by the volume of folk who had experienced the same pain as we had. It was very sobering.”
His wife Emma also took to social media to speak of their loss.
Alongside a candid picture of the couple holding hands, she wrote: “One year to the day that the world changed for us both, and it’s never quite been the same since until we meet again…”
Couple offer support to other families facing their own heartbreak during pregnancy
As the couple process their grief, they are offering support to people experiencing the same difficulty through pregnancy.
Alan says they hope to provide a safe space for people to speak candidly about their experience to help get it “off yer chest”.
He added: “The purpose of this post is, I suppose, to get it off my chest but more so, to offer up any support to anyone who is or has experienced the same difficult road and struggles.
“Sometimes it’s good (for some people, not everyone of course) to talk about it and open up, but often you don’t know who that could or should be.
“Maybe it’s easier if that person isn’t someone close to you or your partner/ family, as it feels a little bit more arms-length.
One year to the day that they world changed for us both, and it’s never quite been the same since 🥺💔🕊️ until we meet again…#babylossawareness #missedmiscarriage pic.twitter.com/1KcyOVXUbR
— Emma Burrows (@emma_burrows16) December 1, 2023
“If that is you, and things are getting on top of you and you want to chat or get it off yer chest – drop me a DM.”
Countless people have flocked to the comment section to relay their sympathies and share their own experiences.
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