Reality TV star Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth pays tribute to her stillborn daughter on her "heavenly birthday"

In an emotional post shared on Instagram yesterday (Wednesday, July 2), Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth shared a series of photos taken during her pregnancy and in the hospital. In the caption, she wished her daughter, who she had called Annabell, a “happy heavenly” 6th birthday.

“Happy heavenly 6th birthday Annabell Elise Forsyth ~ July 1, 2019 ~,” the mum wrote, adding that “some photos may be disturbing to some”.

The photos include one black-and-white photo of Annabell’s feet, while another image showed Joy-Anna and her husband Austin Forsyth holding their daughter in the hospital. There was also a mirror selfie Joy-Anna took while she was pregnant.

In the post, the 27-year-old Counting On star said that Annabell weighed 4.8 oz and was 7 inches long. Joy-Anna’s sister, Jill Duggar Dillard, wrote in the comments section: “Annabell is so loved and missed.” She then added in another comment: “ Love you so much sis,” along with a love heart emoji.

Joy-Anna received many messages of support from her followers in the comments section. One said: “As a mother of 2 living babies and one in heaven I am so honored that Joy has shared her daughter with us. Thank you for trusting us with her. Happy Birthday Annabell! You are loved by your family and your father in heaven!”

The reality TV star told her fans that she had lost her daughter, who was her second child, back in July 2019, explaining that she and her husband learned they had lost Annabell when they went in for their 20-week ultrasound and gender reveal.

At the time, she shared a black-and-white photo of the pair in the hospital, with a caption: “Today marks one week since we heard these words…’So this is your baby’s heart (pointing to the ultrasound screen). I don’t hear a heartbeat or see any movement.’ ”

In another Instagram post uploaded at the time, Joy-Anna added: “We only had her for 20 weeks, Life is fragile and precious,” alongside a photo of herself and Austin cradling their stillborn daughter. “So thankful the Lord gave her to us for that short time! She will be in our hearts forever!,” she added. Joy-Anna went on to share how grateful she was to her fans for their support. “Thank you all for your love and support! We can feel the prayers!,” she wrote.

Joy-Anna and Austin are also parents to son Gideon, who was born in February 2018, daughter Evelyn, born August 2020, and son Gunner, born May 2023.

• If you have been affected by baby loss, you can ring Sands helpline on 0808 164 3332.