Former NRL star Tom Burgess and his wife have revealed the heartbreak of losing a pregnancy after a sudden medical emergency required urgent surgery.
Tahlia Giumelli, the wife of the former South Sydney Rabbitohs forward, revealed the shattering news in a post shared to Instagram, explaining that what began as an unexpected pregnancy quickly went tragically wrong.
The couple learned they were pregnant last month, a surprise that she said brought a rush of emotions.
That joy was short-lived. While Burgess was away for work, Giumelli said her health situation deteriorated.
What was initially believed to be a miscarriage was later diagnosed as an ectopic pregnancy, a serious condition in which a fertilised egg implants outside the uterus.
‘Last month, we learned we were pregnant with our fourth, the surprise of a lifetime,’ Tahlia posted.
Former NRL forward Tom Burgess and his wife Tahlia have three children and were expecting their fourth when a medical emergency turned into a family tragedy
Tom, pictured with his son Alfie, and his wife Tahlia lost their fourth child to an ectopic pregnancy
Tahlia (pictured with Tom) took to Instagram to describe what they had been through to raise awareness of ectopic pregnancies
‘A moment that held every emotion at once, before settling gently into joy.
‘Not long after, while Tom was away for work, joy turned into fear. What we thought was a miscarriage became something more urgent, more complex. An ectopic pregnancy. Emergency surgery.
‘The loss of a baby, and the loss of a part of my body I never imagined saying goodbye to.
‘This isn’t a post asking for sympathy. I am okay. Held by a village of women who stepped forward without hesitation, by a husband who dropped everything to prioritise my healing, by children who remind me daily how full life already is.
‘This is a post for awareness. For the quiet grief that doesn’t always have language. For the women navigating loss alongside hospital rooms, monitors, fear, and shock. For the stories that so often go untold.
‘Because it can feel unbearably lonely. To grieve a baby while your body is still fighting, to hold heartbreak and recovery in the same breath.
‘If this is your story, or part of it, please know this: you are not alone.
It comes after the couple welcomed their third child, son Alfie, in August 2024.
Tahlia included candid photos from hospital and back at home as she broke the news
Tahlia has previously revealed that Tom helped deliver one of his daughters before going on to play a game for the Rabbitohs
‘Alfie Mark Burgess Born 8/8/24 at 4:04pm. Built like a Burgess weighing in at 4kgs and 54cms long,’ Tahlia, 30, wrote on Instagram at the time.
She added: ‘Our sweet little boy, the perfect addition to our family’.
Tahlia also explained Thomas assisted in the birth before playing a game for the Rabbitohs.
‘Tom whipped on the gloves to help deliver our boy and then went from midwife assistant to football player and turned up in time to run out on the field and play with his team,’ she wrote alongside a video of the newborn,’ she posted.
The couple are now living in the UK, where Tom is playing for Huddersfield.
The model, who has spoken publicly about being diagnosed with ADHD, has also recently shared her battles with motherhood.
She said that even with Tom helping when he was home, she felt like she was barely keeping up with housework, admin and a social life that had basically disappeared.
Tahlia added that bedtime battles left her too exhausted to do much beyond binge-watching TV while her mental to-do list kept growing.
‘Hope this makes a few of you feel absolutely normal or maybe you are reading this thinking WTF,’ she finished, followed by a laughing emoji.
