The Patriots linebacker experience some personal hardship recently.
The New England Patriots dedicated their Week 12 win over the Bengals to linebacker Jahlani Tavai, who had missed the trip to Cincinnati for personal reasons. On Wednesday, his partner Kalei Mau took to social media to shed light on what had happened.
In an Instagram post titled “This is my testimony..” she revealed that the couple’s unborn daughter Ka ua unexpectedly passed away during the sixth month of her pregnancy.
“This is not the way I wanted to announce my [second] pregnancy but I was six months pregnant with another beautiful baby girl,” she wrote. “We were expecting to welcome her into our Ohana in March 2026 but I got an extremely rare blood infection. On November 20, I was placed in a medically induced coma after I was found unresponsive in my bed. I was asleep for six days. Unfortunately, with my organs failing and the sickness infecting my placenta, our baby passed away in my womb. …
“The day after I got out of the hospital, I got to kiss my daughter for the first and last time. She was perfect to me. It was so hard to leave her. But when I walked outside it started to rain and it brought me joy to know she’ll always be with me.”
Tavai was a full practice participant on November 20, but absent the next day and through the game in Cincinnati. After that contest, the teammates showered him with support and love.
“We just wanted him to know how much we love him, how much we care for him, and how much we care for everything he’s got going on,” said tight end Hunter Henry, who dedicated a touchdown to Tavai.
The team also FaceTimed him from the locker room following the game against the Bengals.
“He came in, and everybody got in on the FaceTime, and just talked to him,” said cornerback Christian Gonzalez at the time. “It’s been great to be able to talk to him, see his face, see the smiles, and [we have] just continuous praise for him and his family, and we love him like a brother. So we’re just continuing to pray for him, and asking everybody to pray for him as well.”
Tavai was back in action for the Patriots’ Dec. 1 game against the New York Giants, being named a game captain by head coach Mike Vrabel. After the 33-15 victory, he broke down the postgame huddle in the locker room.
“I love the brotherhood in here,” Tavai said to his teammates. “I’d ride with any of you all any day. I love you guys and appreciate you guys.”
Category: General Sports
