Sharon Gaffka has revealed she suffered a tragic miscarriage.
The former Love Island star, who appeared on the dating show in 2021, has opened up about still healing from the heartbreaking experience.
Sharon spoke out about her healing process and grief over the past 18 months in an emotional statement on social media.
Posting a photo of herself out for dinner alongside a selfie of her crying to her 348K Instagram followers, Sharon insisted on the importance of ‘breaking the silence surrounding miscarriage’.
The former reality TV star wrote, !!TW: pregnancy loss!! You know that classic saying… “Be kind because you don’t know what someone is going through”, I’ve been trying to find the strength to be open about something I’ve been healing from for the past eighteen months”.
“I want to start by saying that everyone’s healing process is different. The foetus I miscarried would’ve been celebrating their first birthday this week. Which hit me like a train and I have surprisingly found it incredibly tough to function as I normally would”.
“Miscarriage affects 1 in 4 women in the UK. While I know I’m not the only one to have experience such loss, I’ve struggled with finding a space where the unique emotional journey that those who don't envision motherhood in their future go through when facing such a loss, being talked about openly”.
Gaffka continued, “For individuals who never intended to become parents, the grief following a miscarriage is confusing. The traditional narrative surrounding motherhood doesn't apply, making it challenging to find spaces that resonate with their feelings”.
“My healing process has had to come in stages, weirdly one of the things I was the most scared about was people finding out and having strangers comment on it. But once those feelings passed, I’ve had to contend with feelings of failure”.
“How as such an ‘accomplished’ woman - can I be a failure? I can only put it down to societal norms that as a woman, this is what my body “is supposed to do”, which has only amplified the grief”.
Sharon went on to say, “Grief is not a linear process, I’m tired of being told that time is healer and this truth is especially evident in the aftermath of miscarriage for those who never planned to have children. Feelings of loss, confusion, guilt, and even relief can surface unexpectedly, and these emotions are all valid”.
“Breaking the silence surrounding miscarriage is crucial. For individuals who don't want children, opening up these conversations can lead to validation, understanding, and a sense of community”.
Sharon closed off by adding, “Putting this into the public domain isn’t for sympathy, it’s for my own healing so thank you for reading this far if you did”.
Many fans and former Love Islanders rushed to the comments to commend Sharon for her honesty and to pen supportive messages.
Love Island’s Georgia Townend wrote, “Sending you all the love and more”
“Very proud of you chick you would of helped a lot of other girls being so open with your feelings and I hope you give yourself space to heal x”, said Georgia Harrison. Former Love Island star Brett Staniland added, “Lots of love mate”.
