The actress and her husband held a traditional funeral, which Jill Duggar says made it easier to grieve the loss of their stillborn child.
In early 2024, Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard announced that their beautiful baby girl was stillborn. Now, the actress has opened up about why it was important to hold a funeral for their daughter.
They held a funeral for their stillborn child.
Duggar’s sister Jinger and Jeremy guested on her podcast, where they discussed the stillbirth in 2024 and their grief surrounding it .
Although their daughter died before she was born on March 19, they named her Isla Marie. Many people didn’t understand why the couple decided to hold a funeral for their child, but Jill gave a simple explanation:
It helped us a lot to process as much grief as possible in a tangible way.
She said they would always remember their baby and their life. She had seen other people grieve before , so she had some experience that helped her on this journey.
Jill also talked about how, even though the child never lived, the procedure itself is lengthy and exhausting: the process of obtaining a stillbirth certificate from the hospital, calling funeral directors, and many other tasks burden the person again and again.
“No one prepares you for how this works or what it feels like.” – Jill lamented.
She explained that openly talking about the experience has helped her and Derick honor Isla Marie’s memory while also raising awareness about the complex emotions surrounding pregnancy loss. Jill hopes that by sharing their story, other parents facing similar heartbreak may feel less alone and more supported during such a painful time.
Despite the tragedy, Jill said the support of family, faith, and community helped them find moments of comfort. Remembering their daughter and acknowledging her place in their family has been an important step in their healing process as they continue moving forward while keeping Isla Marie’s memory close to their hearts.
