1 week Ago
The Gaudreau family is welcoming a special blessing while continuing to mourn two tragedies. During the memorial service of brothers Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Gaudreau —a professional hockey player, 31, and his brother, 29, who were killed by a Jeep while biking in New Jersey on Aug. 29—Johnny’s wife Meredith Gaudreau revealed that she is expecting her third child with her late husband.
"John and I had the best six months as a family of four,” Meredith said at the service in Media, Penn., on Sept. 9, according to ABC News .
“These will forever be the best six months of my life. There's specifically one week that I will cherish forever—it will be my favorite week of my life out of those six months. We're actually a family of five.
I'm in my ninth week of pregnancy with our third baby." Meredith—who is also mother to 23-month-old Noa Harper and 7-month-old Johnny Edward with Johnny—went on to explain that her husband was excited by their “total surprise” pregnancy. "John was beaming and so excited," she said.
"His reaction was just immediately kissing me and hugging me." And while the Gaudreau family has described the past week as a “nightmare” that they “can’t wake up from,” Meredith is trying to focus on the positive. “In less than three years of marriage, we've created a family of five," she continued.
"It doesn't even sound possible, but I look at it as the ultimate blessing. How lucky am I to be the mother of John's three babies? Our last one being a blessing and so special despite these difficult circumstances." Meredith’s sister-in-law Madeline Gaudreau —the widow of Johnny’s brother Matthew—had previously shared she is expecting her first child with her late husband, speaking during the memorial service about how she and Matthew were looking forward to parenthood together.
"He was born to be a dad," she said. "The moment we found out about our son Tripp , it consumed his every day. He was downloading apps, ordering books, finding the best diaper brand, making sure I had the best vitamins and asking for tips from John.
I will never forget the tears he had in his eyes when he first heard Tripp’s heartbeat." Madeline ended with a message of love to Meredith, saying, “I promise that I will always be there for you and the kids.".
