Shay Mitchell bid farewell to 2018 with a series of photos on Instagram from her year. But, it wasn’t without its hardships. For the first time, Mitchell publicly shared some heartbreaking news with her fans: she suffered a miscarriage.
“Last year...I miscarried and lost the child of hopes and dreams,” she wrote in an Instagram story. Alongside her words, she shared an image of a sonogram, with a broken heart emoji.
About 25% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, with most occurring within the first trimester. Miscarriage is common, but it’s not something that is talked about in discussions about reproductive health, as Refinery29 editor-in-chief Christene Barberich explained in an essay about her struggle with conceiving. Michelle Obama opened up about her fertility issues in her new book, while This Is Us addressed Kate’s IVF treatments this season. The more miscarriage is brought to the forefront, the more the stigma can be removed.
Mitchell reminded her fans that, in spite of a picturesque Instagram account, everyone is going through something. “So, for 2019, let's all try to be a little more compassionate, empathetic, patient and thoughtful with each other.