Total Pro Sports
Jahlani Tavai and his partner, Kalei Mau, are facing the toughest time of their lives probably. Mau revealed on Instagram that they lost their unborn daughter after she suffered a sudden and rare medical emergency. She spoke honestly about the heartbreak and how close she came to losing her own life.
Mau explained that she was six months pregnant with a baby girl they planned to name Ka ua, which means “rain” in Hawaiian. On November 20, she became seriously ill because of what she called a very rare blood infection.
Doctors placed her into an induced coma, and she remained unconscious for six days. She said, “Unfortunately, with my organs failing and the sickness infecting my placenta, our baby passed away in my womb, Hours later, my body went into natural labor and Jahlani watched me deliver our baby unconscious. He said it was like my body just knew what to do.”
A few hours later, her body went into natural labor while she was still unconscious. Tavai stayed by her side and told her afterward that her body “just knew what to do.”
Mau later shared a photo from her hospital bed, kissing the couple’s older daughter. She thanked everyone for their support and said she felt grateful to be alive. “By the grace of GOD and the power of PRAYER I woke up and it was clear what I had to continue to live for,” she wrote. She added, “Thank you Jesus.”
She also posted a picture of herself holding baby Ka‘ua. Mau said she met her daughter for the first and last time the day after she left the hospital. “She was perfect to me,” she wrote, adding, “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.”
Mau then posted a short video thanking everyone who reached out***. “I’m so happy. I couldn’t be happier. My heart is so full of gratitude. God is so good… The healing journey starts now,”*** she said.
She thanked the Patriots and the medical team at Mass General Hospital for helping her and supporting her through the crisis. Tavai missed the Patriots’ Week 12 game for personal reasons but returned in Week 13 against the Giants.
It’s like a back-to-back heartbreak for fans as former Patriots star Kevin Faulk is also dealing with the sudden loss of his second daughter.
Tavai played college football at Hawaii, and Mau grew up there as well. She plays professional volleyball and is taking business classes at Harvard.
