Love Island’s Sharon Gaffka has revealed she suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage 18 months ago.
The reality star took to Instagram on Tuesday to issue a trigger warning and shared a tearful selfie when she first opened up about her tragic pregnancy loss.
Describing her pain, Sharon explained that she was “trying to find the strength” to be open about her pain that she has been healing from for the past 18 months, admitting that she was initially afraid of people commenting on her loss.
During the emotional post, Sharon also revealed that this week would have been her baby’s first birthday and that the sadness she felt from this has hit her “like a train.”
She added that she’s been finding it “incredibly hard to function normally” lately and told her fans she wasn’t sharing her news for “sympathy” but simply for her “own healing.”
So sad: Love Island’s Sharon Gaffka has revealed she suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage 18 months ago
Loss: The reality star took to Instagram on Tuesday to issue a trigger warning and shared a tearful selfie when she first opened up about her tragic pregnancy loss
Her heartbreaking caption read, “‼️TW: Pregnancy Loss‼️ You know that classic saying… “Be nice because you don’t know what someone is going through”, I’ve been trying to find the strength to be open about something that I’m the been cured of in the past eighteen months.
“I want to start by saying that everyone’s healing process is different. The fetus I miscarried would have celebrated their first birthday this week. That hit me like a train and I surprisingly found it incredibly difficult to function as I normally would.
‘Miscarriage affects 1 in 4 women in the UK. While I know I’m not alone in experiencing such a loss, I’ve struggled to find a space where the unique emotional journey those who don’t envision motherhood in their future go through when dealing with such a loss. facing loss is talked about openly.
“For people who never intended to become parents, the grief after a miscarriage is confusing. The traditional story of motherhood doesn’t apply, making it a challenge to find spaces that resonate with their feelings.’
The TV star continued, “My healing process had to be phased, oddly one of the things I was most afraid of was people finding out and strangers commenting on it.
“But once those feelings passed, I started dealing with feelings of failure. As such an “accomplished” woman, how can I be a failure? I can only attribute it to societal norms that as a woman this is what my body is “supposed to do”, which has only added to the sadness.
“Grief is not a linear process, I am tired of hearing that time is a healer and this truth is especially evident in the aftermath of a miscarriage for those who never intended to have children. Feelings of loss, confusion, guilt, and even relief can pop up unexpectedly, and these emotions are all valid.
Breaking the silence around a miscarriage is crucial. For individuals who do not want children, opening these conversations can lead to validation, understanding, and a sense of community.
Tragic: Sharon described her pain, explaining that she was “trying to find the strength” to be open about her pain that she has been healing from for the past 18 months
Heartbreaking: During the emotional post, Sharon also revealed that this week would have been her baby’s first birthday and the sadness she felt because of this has hit her “like a train”
“Putting this in the public domain isn’t for sympathy, it’s for my own healing, so thanks for reading this far if you have.”
Sharon’s post received a plethora of friendly comments from fans expressing their condolences over her loss.
Sharon appeared in the seventh series of the ITV2 dating show in 2021 where she was the fifth to be dumped off the island.
In April, during a Q&A with her fans, Sharon revealed that she had enjoyed a celebrity romance.
When asked if she would ever date anyone in public, she stated that she had, but would rather keep her options open in the future.
She explained, “This is the ONLY dating question I’m going to answer. Because I’m a little over it getting them.
“I’ve only dated one person in public for the past two years, it lasted the best part of five minutes, so it’s not even known outside of my inner circle.”
Tough time: She added that she’s been finding it “incredibly hard to function normally” lately and told her fans she wasn’t sharing her news for “sympathy” but simply for her “own healing”
Loss: ‘Grief is not a linear process, I’m tired of hearing that time is healer and this truth is especially evident in the aftermath of a miscarriage for those who never intended to have children’
“I would want a relationship that is known, but not known.
“I don’t go out with ATMs anyway. I’m not interested in it.’
Along with her answer, Sharon shared a photo of herself sitting outside a cafe enjoying a cup of coffee.
The star previously dated Hugo Hammond whom she met on the same series of Love Island, but admitted she stopped talking to him after he joked about spiked her drink and did some “inappropriate touches.”
If this story has affected you, you can seek advice at www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk or by calling 01924 200 799.