Emily Mitchell, a parenting blogger and Instagram influencer, died on Dec. 22 at age 36.
The Rhode Island native was pregnant with her fifth child at the time of her death. While she typically focused her posts on home-schooling her four children, she had spent the weeks leading up to her unexpected death by posting about her pregnancy journey.
News of her death was confirmed on a crowdfunding page set up by her family.
"Our dear Emily and her precious unborn baby left us unexpectedly in the morning of December 22, 2020," the page reads. "Our hearts are broken and her joyful presence will be greatly missed by so many. Em made a big impact in so many people’s lives, and this loss is incomprehensible for anyone who knew her. Our friend was a dedicated mom and wife, she had a heart for the Lord, and loved her children so dearly."
No cause of death has been determined at this time.
On New Year’s Day, the page was updated to thank fans for exceeding the family’s $100,000 goal in such a short amount of time.
"Thank you so much for all of your support. Her family was surprised by the outpouring of love from her homeschool community on Instagram," the update reads. "Together we went above and beyond to support them, and even though this will not take away their pain, we know this gift means a lot to them. Thank you, always."
As of this writing, the crowdfunding campaign has reached more than $163,000
PHYLLIS MCGUIRE, LAST OF MCGUIRE SISTERS SINGING GROUP, DEAD AT 89
Mitchell is survived by her husband, Joe, and their children, Finn, Isla Edie and Lulu. E! News notes that she is also survived by her parents, three siblings, in-laws and several nieces and nephews.
In early December, she shared her final post on Instagram in which she discussed her birth plan for baby number five.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
"This will be my FIFTH C-Section," she wrote at the time. "However your baby gets here, just know YOUR EXPERIENCE is valid and worthy. YOU are no less a mother if you needed emergency medical intervention, had a planned c-section, or an epidural. You aren’t a ‘better’ mother if you had a home birth or an unmedicated vaginal birth. And if you grew your brood through adoption or surrogacy or family blending? Those are YOUR babies and YOU SIT PROUDLY at the table of motherhood."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
She concluded: "My plan was never to have five c-sections. But you can be sure I’m darn thankful for them. Even if I did grieve with my first at missing out on what the ‘real motherhood experience’ was supposed to be. How I feel now? It doesn’t matter how they get here. It only matters THAT THEY GET HERE. And are so deeply LOVED."