Brian Dowling has shared a heartbreaking post of him bringing his newborn daughter Blake to visit his late mother’s grave.
The couple welcomed a beautiful baby girl named Blake Maria Rose Dowling Gourounlian, on Thursday, September 1.
Brian’s younger sister Aoife acted as the couple’s surrogate, and the TV presenter previously thanked her for giving them “the gift of life”.
Taking to Instagram on Friday, Brian shared a snap of him holding his newborn daughter, as they visited his late mother’s grave.
His mum Rosie sadly passed away back in 2018.
Brian wrote: “I actually wasn’t sure whether to post this pic or not from visiting my mum’s grave with Blake for the first time last Sunday. I just think it’s an incredibly sad pic and probably the most vulnerable I’ve ever been.”
“To think Blake will never really know mum or get any cuddles from her breaks my heart. I’ve never ever gotten over the loss of our mother and I never will; to this day, over 4 years later, I still ask WHY.”
“No matter what age you are, you never stop wanting or missing your parents. I always try to be open/honest and transparent when it comes to grief, especially as I host my own podcast Death Becomes Him, where I ask all my guests to do the same,” Brian continued.
“Those that listen to the podcast will know it’s been nearly 11 months since we released a new episode and there’s a very good reason for that; and that’s Blake.”
“When Arthur and I started to take serious steps in planning to have a baby, I decided to step back from Death Becomes Him to focus on having our family. When I’m in podcast mode it can be a very dark/emotional and very sad place to be in, surrounded by death and loss and constantly looking for people who are suffering and grieving.”
“I 100% could not be in that frame of mind while we tried to have our daughter. Our road to baby Blake was FULL ON and my heart needed to be full of light/hope and joy. I love doing Death Becomes Him and what it stands for and all the people it’s helped have been absolutely incredible.”
“I get messages every single day from people saying how it’s helped them or some just discovering it from word of mouth and listening for the very first time.”
“So now that baby Blake is here safe and sound and absolutely thriving, it’s time for daddy to get back to the podcast world and start recording more episodes of Death Becomes Him. So, I’m happy to confirm I’m now in the process of planning season 5, where we will bring you seven more beautiful episodes.”
“To anyone out there struggling with grief, remember you are not alone. So many people know how you are feeling and please don’t be afraid to ask for help. At the time it can feel so isolating, and you may even feel like you are losing it. As I’ve always said grief is such a tricky thing to navigate and all each and every one of us can do is our best.”
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