Emily Mitchell was 16 weeks pregnant when she became unresponsive while drinking coffee on the morning of December 22, 2020.
A popular blogger and mom-of-four, who was pregnant with her fifth child, unexpectedly died a few days before Christmas. 36-year-old Emily Mitchell's devastated family has been picking up the pieces of their hearts after losing the backbone of their family.
She was 36 and 16 weeks pregnant at the time. She died on December 22, 2020, unexpectedly leaving her homeschooling community shocked, as per ET. The family had previously said in a statement, "Our dear Emily and her precious unborn baby left us unexpectedly in the morning of December 22, 2020. Our hearts are broken and her joyful presence will be greatly missed by so many. Em made a big impact on so many people’s lives, and this loss is incomprehensible for anyone who knew her. Our friend was a dedicated mom and wife, she had a heart for the Lord, and loved her children so dearly."
The family now has a GoFundMe page organized by friend Allyson Speake. In an update on the page, the family finally shared the cause of her death. "Thank you also for respecting our privacy as we adjust to life without Mom. A few days ago we learned from the state Medical Examiners Office that the official cause of death was a pulmonary embolism. Although it is challenging to wrap our heads around how this could have happened, we know all first responders and medical personnel did everything they could to help, and therefore we are certain that it was simply her time; the Lord was calling her home," the family said.
A pulmonary embolism is a life-threatening condition caused by blood clots that lead to a blockage in one of the pulmonary arteries in the lungs, as per Mayo Clinic.
She is survived by her husband, Joe, and four children: Finn, Isla, Edie, and Lulu. Her kids will continue to be homeschooled "in the same spirit and vision that Emily was so passionate about, and we are looking forward to learning how best to continue sharing," the update on the fundraising page said.
Emily used to blog about homeschooling her four kids on her site, The Hidden Way. She used to post regular updates on Instagram as well. Her Instagram shows how happy she had been about welcoming their fifth child.
On November 20, 2020, she wrote, "YOU GUYS... Number FIVE comin in hot and we are here" along with a photo of her ultrasound scan.
In her last post, which was on December 9, 2020, she wrote that her fifth delivery was also going to be her fifth C-section. "However your baby gets here, just know YOUR EXPERIENCE is valid and worthy. YOU are no less a mother if you needed emergency medical intervention, had a planned c-section, or an epidural. You aren’t a ‘better’ mother if you had a home birth or an unmedicated vaginal birth. And if you grew your brood through adoption or surrogacy or family blending? Those are YOUR babies and YOU SIT PROUDLY at the table of motherhood," she wrote.
Never would the Mitchells have imagined that they would end up losing their mama bear and their young child. Emily had been a source of inspiration to many of her followers, whom she tried to encourage through her last post. She was a strong woman telling other women that motherhood was not a "competition."
"There aren’t awards handed out for homebirths or all-natural births. If you’ve been blessed with that, then that is incredible. Truly!! But if you haven’t, please know and believe you have STILL BEEN BLESSED," she wrote.
In a previous post on their fundraising page, the family said that Emily was drinking her morning coffee and eating toast "when she suddenly became unresponsive." Even though her children, husband, father, and other medical personnel, tried to resuscitate her, it was unsuccessful. "She went home to be with the Lord," they had said.
References:
https://www.etonline.com/parenting-blogger-emily-mitchells-cause-of-death-revealed-158490
https://www.gofundme.com/f/6n4vy-support-the-mitchell-family
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pulmonary-embolism/symptoms-causes/syc-20354647
