Sondra Williams, the wife of San Francisco 49ers tackle Trent Williams, has revealed that their son, Trenton, was stillborn on November 24. The couple had lost Trenton’s twin earlier in the pregnancy, and the baby was diagnosed with trisomy 13, a chromosomal condition associated with severe intellectual disability and physical abnormalities.
In an Instagram post, Sondra described the pain of saying goodbye to her baby, saying it had been “extremely hard trying to process the saddest Hello and Goodbye.” She also shared that leaving the hospital without her baby had been difficult, as well as celebrating Thanksgiving without her child in her arms.
Trenton had several life-threatening medical problems associated with trisomy 13, and most babies with the condition die within their first days or weeks of life. According to the National Library of Medicine, only 5-10% of children with trisomy 13 live past their first year.
The news has been met with an outpouring of support from the 49ers organization, with head coach Kyle Shanahan confirming that Trent Williams has spent time grieving with his family and is working through his loss. Shanahan expressed admiration for the team’s ability to come together during difficult times, saying it was “nice for those guys to have another avenue to get out on the football field, to get around teammates and things like that.”
This is the second time this season a 49ers player has dealt with the loss of a child, following the announcement by cornerback Charvarius Ward of the death of his one-year-old daughter in October.
