Cobden export Gary Rohan has revealed that his wife is pregnant with twins, but that one of baby's lives is "destined to be cut short".
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Writing in a post on Instagram on Saturday, the Sydney Swans player said he and his wife Amie had learnt one of their "beautiful bubs" was diagnosed with anencephaly.
A serious birth defect, anencephaly means a baby is born without parts of its brain, scalp and skull.
"Babies born with anencephaly are not compatible with life," Rohan wrote.
"Since our brain tells our heart to beat, our lungs to breath, our legs to move and so on, these babies live from a few moments to a few hours after birth."
Rohan said he and his wife had known about the baby's condition for several weeks since a scan, and had decided to tell the public after "constantly discussing what (they) should do".
"We come to the decision that either way, BOTH our babies are beautiful, precious human beings, with the only thing being that sadly one's life is destined to be cut short," he wrote.
"There are going to be some really difficult days ahead but also many happy ones, and we want to share each and every one of those moments with you all."
The couple welcomed conversation with members of the public to discuss the rare condition, and encouraged anyone with similar experiences to reach out to them.
"Don't be afraid to talk to us about it. That's what we want, we want people to ask questions, we want to talk about it with others. We still need questions answered as much as everyone else," Rohan wrote.
"And at the end of the day, we will always be parents to twins, our journey has just been written a little differently to others."
The twins are due in May next year.
Hundreds of fans have responded to the footy star's post, with many expressing their own experiences with babies born with anencephaly and offering support.
"Many prayers as you grow through your journey. It will be one the hardest things but also so amazing," one commenter wrote.
"You are both so brave to share. I wish you all the strength and prayers for the future. Spoil them both with as many kisses, cuddles and all the love you can. I feel for you both," another wrote.
It is not the first baby tragedy for the Swans; in 2011, Rohan's teammate Jarrad McVeigh lost his baby Luella a month after she was born due to a heart condition.
The Swans donned black armbands in a following game in Luella's honour, with teammates including Adam Goodes left emotional after the team's win.
McVeigh and his wife Clementine have since had another girl, and announced in March this year they were expecting a third child.
- This article first appeared on The Age website
