New England Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty and his wife lost their daughter, Mia, last week approximately eight months into Michelle McCourty’s pregnancy, the couple disclosed. The 10-year NFL veteran made the announcement on social media Saturday.

A check-up one week earlier went fine

Devin and Michelle McCourty have a 3-yer-old daughter and a 2-year-old son. They were expecting a third child early this summer, but the New England Patriots defender announced that Michelle had delivered a stillborn over Memorial Day weekend two days after doctor’s determined the baby no longer had a heartbeat.

The couple thanked friends and family for their support and asked for privacy.

“I’ve seen and felt God in so many ways in this last week,” McCourty wrote on an Instagram account he shares with his brother, Jason McCourty. “(Michelle’s) strength has brought me to tears but also inspired me to be what God has called me to be. … God’s love on earth has been shown to us by (unbelievable) friends and family who have checked on us daily, and hourly. Thank you everyone for your love and prayers.”

A note on the Instagram account written by Michelle McCourty, who is an emergency room doctor, said there had been no issues detected during a routine check-up the previous week.

“We are so heartbroken,” she wrote. “We are devastated. We are speechless. We are angry. We are sad. We are confused. We are numb.”

This was not the first tragedy endured by Devin McCourty

Twins Devin and Jason McCourty were born in 1987 and grew up with an older brother north of New York City. Their father died in 1990 of a heart attack at the age of 34, but Phyllis McCourty, who worked as a nurse, saved money to enroll then in a private high school in nearby New Jersey.

The twins were inspired by their mother’s dedication and were able to relieve her of a financial burden by earning football scholarships to Rutgers.

Jason McCourty, also a cornerback, was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL draft. He started 90 games in eight seasons with the Titans, caught on with the Cleveland Browns for a season after being released, and then was traded to the New England Patriots  before the 2018 draft.

Devin McCourty has been with the Patriots since New England selected him in the first round in 2010. He has started all 155 games he has appeared in over 10 seasons and has accounted for 26 interceptions and 772 tackles. He was selected to the Pro Bowl as a rookie and again in 2016.

The McCourty twins remember their roots

Twins Devin and Jason McCourty, 32, have been high achievers as more than just athletes. In 2019, they delivered the commencement address together at Rutgers, where they received honorary doctorates. Earlier this month, they were named finalists for ESPN’s Muhammed Ali Sports Humanitarian Award at the ESPYs.

Devin McCourty promoted legislation signed into law in Massachusetts that prevents children under 12 from being charged in juvenile court, The change keeps youths from being put into the justice system for poor decisions made while as young as 7 years old.

Both brothers are also advocating for changes to school funding formulas in Massachusetts.

This spring, they donated $90,000 to a drive to purchase Chromebooks for students in Rockland County in New York who are continuing classes from home during the pandemic shutdown of schools. Their donation aided more than 700 students, The Journal News reported.