Shawn Johnson-East is opening up about her 2017 pregnancy loss.
The Olympic gymnast, who shares daughter Drew Hazel, 2, and son Jett James, 15 months, with husband Andrew East, marked the anniversary of her miscarriage in a moving Instagram post, where she shared how the day has brought her both heartbreak and joy
"October 19th… always hits a little hard for me in such a bittersweet way," Shawn, 30, wrote alongside a photo of her and Andrew from the YouTube video sharing the news of their pregnancy loss. "It was the day I miscarried our first baby in 2017 but then a little over a year later I was told it was the due date of Drew Hazel."
She continued, "I always wake up a little sad and a little somber on 10/19 but God works in such beautiful ways. I'll meet you in heaven some day sweet angel."
Her heartfelt post has been liked by more than 67,000 people. Singer Natalie Hemby commented, writing, "Awww friend… yes you will.. yes. You. Will."
Shawn and Andrew first spoke about the miscarriage in an emotional October 2017 YouTube video, with the Dancing with the Stars alum sharing their pregnancy loss occurred not long after finding out she was pregnant.
"We feel like a lot of people go through this so we wanted to share it, "Shawn said while sitting in her husband's lap. "The past 48 hours have been some of the happiest, scariest, and saddest times of my life," she continued. "My husband Andrew and I found out that we were unexpectedly pregnant, only to find out hours later some tragic news. I have been crying more than I ever have, but am still optimistic for what is next."
The Mirrorball winner spoke about her miscarriage to E! News in 2021, sharing what it felt like to find out she was pregnant again a little over a year later.
"It was absolutely terrifying," the Olympic gold medalist said. "The first time, when I found out I was pregnant, it was, like, the greatest day of my life. The second time I found out I was pregnant, I was so afraid that I couldn't celebrate it because it wouldn't last that it almost stripped all the joy out of it for me for a while."