Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett faced profound sorrow last year, enduring a loss that cast a permanent void in his life. Despite the challenges, Barrett has discovered a glimmer of happiness through the arrival of a new family member.
The Barretts have now welcomed a new bundle of joy into their family, and the NFL professional’s wife shared the news with fans and followers.
Shaquil Barrett welcomes baby girl with wife Jordanna
Shaquil Barrett and wife Jordanna celebrated the birth of their baby girl, Allanah. Jordanna shared the news on Instagram, expressing their love for the newborn.
Jordanna posted a series of photos of Allanah on Instagram, introducing their daughter to the world. She included a heartfelt caption with the Instagram post, expressing love for Allanah and sharing the birth date.
“We welcomed Our sweet Allanah 2•3•24 we love you so much already babygirl!,” the proud mom wrote.
In July, the couple revealed the exciting news of Jordanna’s pregnancy on Instagram. The Instagram post included a photo of a positive pregnancy test alongside the text “Allanah Ray February 2024,” confirming the couple’s expectation of a baby girl.
Shaquil Barrett and Jordanna have three other children: sons, Braylon (10), Shaquil Jr. (11), and daughter Aaliyah (8). They had another daughter Arrayah, whom they lost in a tragic incident last year.
Bucs LB dealt with tragic loss of firstborn daughter
Shaq Barrett suffered a great loss last year as his 2-year-old daughter, Arrayah, passed away untimely. Arrayah drowned in the family’s pool on April 30 and died leaving a permanent void in her parents’ lives.
Shaquil Barrett described the grief as coming in waves, acknowledging that some days are more challenging, especially when he is alone with his thoughts, but he still tried to stay strong.
“Her smile — I just miss her so much. Her energy, just like putting her to bed every night, reading stories. She just brought so much brightness and wholeness and completeness to our lives. And we most definitely have a big, big, big, big, big hole in our hearts and our lives that we won’t be able to fill.”
To honor Arrayah’s memory, Barrett got a tattoo on his right forearm featuring her smile, surrounded by stars, her favorite. The tattoo included beams of sunlight radiating down her cheeks.
“It’s never going to be the same without her,” Barrett continued. “She would’ve been the best big sister. Like, it just, it’s bittersweet. It’s bittersweet ’cause I know she’s in a better place, but I would 100% prefer her to be here with us, selfishly. It’s a lot. There’s just a lot that goes on throughout the day.”
To prevent similar tragedies, Barrett and his family have started the “Arrayah Hope” foundation, aiming to provide free swim lessons to children in Tampa, Florida, where a significant number of drownings occur annually among children.
The foundation aims to contribute to water safety, so that no parents go through the same tragedy Shaquil Barrett and his wife endured.
