Love Island star Sharon Gaffka has revealed she suffered a miscarriage last year in a heartbreaking post.
The 27-year-old, who appeared on the seventh series of the dating show in 2021, took to Instagram on to mark what would have been her baby’s first birthday.
She wrote: “‼️TW: pregnancy loss ‼️ You know that classic saying… ‘Be kind because you don’t know what someone is going through’, I’ve been trying to find the strength to be open about something I’ve been healing from for the past eighteen months.”
Sharon continued: “I want to start by saying that everyone’s healing process is different. The foetus I miscarried would’ve been celebrating their first birthday this week. Which hit me like a train and I have surprisingly found it incredibly tough to function as I normally would.”
“Miscarriage affects 1 in 4 women in the UK. While I know I’m not the only one to have experience such loss, I’ve struggled with finding a space where the unique emotional journey that those who don’t envision motherhood in their future go through when facing such a loss, being talked about openly.”
“For individuals who never intended to become parents, the grief following a miscarriage is confusing. The traditional narrative surrounding motherhood doesn’t apply, making it challenging to find spaces that resonate with their feelings.”
The reality star went on to write: “My healing process has had to come in stages, weirdly one of the things I was the most scared about was people finding out and having strangers comment on it. But once those feelings passed, I’ve had to contend with feelings of failure.”
“How as such an ‘accomplished’ woman – can I be a failure? I can only put it down to societal norms that as a woman, this is what my body “is supposed to do”, which has only amplified the grief.”
“Grief is not a linear process, I’m tired of being told that time is healer and this truth is especially evident in the aftermath of miscarriage for those who never planned to have children. Feelings of loss, confusion, guilt, and even relief can surface unexpectedly, and these emotions are all valid.”
Sharon concluded her post by writing: “Breaking the silence surrounding miscarriage is crucial. For individuals who don’t want children, opening up these conversations can lead to validation, understanding, and a sense of community.”
“Putting this into the public domain isn’t for sympathy, it’s for my own healing so thank you for reading this far if you did. 🤍”
If you are looking for support or information regarding pregnancy loss, you can contact the Miscarriage Association of Ireland at www.miscarriage.ie.
