NFL Star Hakeem Adeniji Shares Update 1 Week After Son's Stillbirth

Kayla Adeniji and Hakeem Adeniji

Cleveland Browns player Hakeem Adeniji is sharing an update one week after the stillbirth of his and wife Layla’s son.

“It’s been a little over a week since we lost our boy,” Adeniji, 26, wrote via Instagram on Sunday, November 10. “There’s been anger, sadness and emptiness. The fact that he is gone has set in now and nothing can change that. I’ll never get to see him grow up, and he’ll never get to read his journal I wrote for him.”

Adeniji noted that he misses his son, and will “miss him everyday for the rest of my life.” He added that he and Kayla want to remember their son for “all the happy times he gave us” and “all the hard moments he got us through.”

“As we continue with life, I don’t want anyone to treat me any different than before, or feel like they can’t say certain things around me,” he said. “I still love kids and still want to [be] happy for all my friends in their good moments.”

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He continued, “I know my little soldier is up there watching us and giving us strength. Everyday that God continues to wake me up I will do right by him and make him proud. This will be hard, but that’s life. Always has been and probably always will be.”

Adeniji concluded his message by noting that he and Kyla have appreciated the “prayers, support and well wishes” they have received.

“I still want to be a dad more than anything else in this world, and he gave me that even though it was short lived,” Adeniji wrote. “When and if I ever get that opportunity again I’ll never take a day for granted. I love my boy and he will live through us.”

Alongside the heartfelt note, Adeniji shared a picture of him resting his hand on their son as Kayla held the baby in her arms. “Better days ahead of us,” Adeniji captioned the upload.

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Adeniji’s update came one week after he announced the stillbirth of his and Kayla’s baby. “It was the worst moment of my life,” Adeniji said via Instagram video, while getting visibly emotional. “Everybody that knows me knows how bad I wanted to be a dad.”

Kayla uploaded her own post via Instagram, sharing their son’s name, Semiu Zade Adeniji, who was born on November 2. She also posted a carousel of images of their son and Adeniji holding the baby.

“We lost our son. We had to say goodbye to the most perfect, beautiful boy I’ve ever seen. We will never ever be the same and we will never forget him. He had a head full of curls and his daddy’s nose. The softest cheeks and big hands. He will always be my son and I will always be his mom,” she wrote. “He got us through so much this year and stayed so strong for us for so long. I will always remember holding him and smelling him. He was just perfect. Oh my sweet boy mommy and daddy will always smile when we think of you, I promise. Please look out for us my angel .”