England and Aston Villa midfielder Missy Bo Kearns has spoken about the trauma of suffering a miscarriage last month, praising the club's medical team for potentially saving her life after she developed sepsis. The 25-year-old had announced her pregnancy just weeks before the devastating loss.
Kearns told ITV News that on 18 March she thought she was experiencing pregnancy symptoms, but after shaking and running a temperature of 42C, team doctor Dr Jodie Blackadder-Weinstein urged her to go to hospital immediately. 'It was one of the biggest shocks of my life,' Kearns said. 'I’d literally been doing pilates and gym an hour before, and my whole life just changed like that.'
She spent four days in hospital, where doctors confirmed she had lost her baby and was suffering from sepsis. 'I’m so thankful for the doctors here at Villa, they probably saved my life because I had sepsis, and while having that, I wasn’t even thinking about the sepsis, it was: “I’ve lost my child,”' she added.
Kearns described the psychological toll as 'a different type of grief', noting the contrast between the highs of pregnancy and the sudden crash after loss. She hopes sharing her story will encourage others to speak out and seek support from charities like Tommy's.
The player, who is in a relationship with Luton midfielder Liam Walsh, said returning to normal life has been difficult, but she remains focused on her football career, including targeting next year's World Cup. 'My plan while I was pregnant was to make the World Cup squad, and that’s not changed,' she said. 'I’ve realised there’s more to life than football, but now I’m going to enjoy every minute of football like it’s my last because it could have been.'
