(NEW YORK) — The widow of Columbus Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau, Meredith Gaudreau, announced her pregnancy with their third child at Monday’s memorial service for Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau.
“John and I had the best six months as a family of four. These will forever be the best six months of my life,” Meredith Gaudreau said at the service. “There’s specifically one week that I will cherish forever — it will be my favorite week of my life out of those six months. We’re actually a family of five. I’m in my ninth week of pregnancy with our third baby.”
She called the pregnancy a “total surprise.”
“John was beaming and so excited,” she said. “His reaction was just immediately kissing me and hugging me.”
Their first child, daughter Noa Harper Gaudreau, was born Sept. 30, 2022. Their second, son Johnny Edward Gaudreau, was born Feb. 22.
“Noa, our oldest, hasn’t even turned 2 yet. In less than three years of marriage, we’ve created a family of five,” Meredith Gaudreau said at the memorial service. “It doesn’t even sound possible, but I look at it as the ultimate blessing. How lucky am I to be the mother of John’s three babies? Our last one being a blessing and so special despite these difficult circumstances.”
“To my babies, daddy loves you all so much and you have the best daddy in the world,” she said.
On Aug. 29, Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and his brother Matthew Gaudreau, 29, were riding bikes in Salem County, New Jersey, when they were struck and killed by a driver suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, according to police. The suspected driver was arrested and charged with two counts of death by auto, according to police.
Matthew Gaudreau’s wife, Madeline Gaudreau, is also pregnant with their first child.
“This last week has felt like I’ve been trapped in a nightmare I can’t wake up from,” Madeline Gaudreau said at the memorial service. “I feel numb, angry, sad, blessed all at once. Some days the thought of this new reality is debilitating. But mostly, I just miss Matt.”
“The 14 years we spent together will never be enough, but I will cherish those and carry them close to me, especially on the extremely hard days,” she said.
“He was born to be a dad,” Madeline Gaudreau said. “The moment we found out about our son Tripp, it consumed his every day. He was downloading apps, ordering books, finding the best diaper brand, making sure I had the best vitamins and asking for tips from John. I will never forget the tears he had in his eyes when he first heard Tripp’s heartbeat.”
“I know Matt will surround his son for the rest of his life,” she said through tears.
She said she hopes her son and Meredith Gaudreau’s baby, Johnny, have the same bond their dads did.
To Meredith Gaudreau, she said, “I promise that I will always be there for you and the kids.”
Madeline Gaudreau also made a point at the service to urge people to not drink and drive.
“Please do not put another family through this torture,” she said.
The Gaudreau brothers died the night before their sister, Katie, was set to get married, according to their former coaches.
The brothers were “always side by side” and “absolute best friends,” Meredith Gaudreau wrote on Instagram two days after their deaths.
“I don’t think John could live a day without you so I’m comforted knowing you are of course together in heaven,” she said in a message to her brother-in-law.
“Matty, thank you for loving our babies like your own and for being such an amazing uncle and godfather,” she added, pledging to take care of his wife, Madeline, and their future son.
“Please continue to take care of John like you always have. I got Madeline and Tripp,” she said.
(LOS ANGELES) — Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James — the NBA’s all-time leading scorer — and his son Bronny James make NBA history Oct. 22, taking to the court together as the Lakers faced the Minnesota Timberwolves in their season opener.
As the father-son duo teamed up, the rest of the James family watched the game unfold at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, including mom Savannah James, son Bryce and daughter Zhuri.
“Going up to the scorer’s table with my dad and checking in for the first time was a crazy moment I will never forget,” Bronny James said after the Lakers defeated the Timberwolves.
“It’s always been family over everything, so to be able to have this moment where I’m working still and I could work alongside my son is one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever got from the man above and I’m going to take full advantage of it,” LeBron James added.
LeBron James had 16 points in 35 minutes, while Bronny James did not score in the three minutes he played in his NBA debut.
Earlier in October, the Jameses also made history when they became the first father and son to play in an NBA preseason game together.
Bronny James is a guard with the Lakers, having been selected by the team in the 2024 NBA Draft.
“For a father, it means everything,” the elder James, a forward, said following the Lakers’ Oct. 6 preseason game against the Phoenix Suns. “For someone who didn’t have that growing up, to be able to have that influence on your kids and have influence on your son, to be able to have moments with your son and then ultimately, to be able to work with your son, I think that’s one of the greatest things that a father could ever hope for or wish for.”
LeBron James’ family often cheers him on at games, including at the 2024 Paris Olympics earlier this year, as the U.S. men’s basketball team won gold.
The Akron, Ohio, native has said he takes fatherhood seriously, having grown up without his own dad present in his life, and he prioritizes being present with his kids.
Although two of his kids — sons Bronny and Bryce James — have followed him onto the basketball court, LeBron James has said he doesn’t pressure them to play the sport.
“I’ve always let them just see if they had a love for [basketball]. Because, at the end of the day, nothing is going to come to fruition if you’re just doing it because you feel like it’s what your parents are doing. Nah, it’s going to fizzle out too fast,” he told Sports Illustrated in a 2022 cover interview with his sons.
