Social Media Star Anael Shmueli Marks One Year Since Stillbirth

Social media star Anael Shmueli is marking the one-year anniversary of a stillbirth, sharing a personal post about the profound grief she continues to experience. In the post, published during the week commemorating three years since the October 7th attacks, Shmueli described the moment of loss: "A year ago today I touched death. I gave birth to him, I hugged him, and I said goodbye to him." She expressed her struggle with the event, questioning "Why me?" and stating she has "no interest in being an ambassador or emissary of death."

Shmueli explained that while the pain remains, her way of coping has evolved. She acknowledged the natural, internal struggle to find answers for such difficult events, noting that understanding means accepting the reality of the loss. "Meeting the truth does not mean agreeing with it, and it does not mean stopping hurting. It just means stopping waiting for an answer that will cancel what happened and starting to learn how to live alongside the pain," she wrote.

She also highlighted the month of awareness for stillbirths and pregnancy loss, urging those around to offer support through hugs, presence, kind words, or small gestures like chocolate. To women who have experienced pregnancy loss, Shmueli conveyed a message of solidarity: "You are not alone."

Concluding her post, Shmueli reflected on her transformation since the loss, emphasizing that she does not see herself as an "ambassador or emissary of death." Instead, she stated, "From the encounter with it, a new version of me was born. Not because I had to lose, but because I continued to live." This new version, she explained, understands the preciousness of life and the right to choose it even when her heart still aches.