It's been eight years since Gary Barlow and his wife Dawn Andrews lost their daughter Poppy. The Take That singer took to Instagram on the anniversary of the tragic day, back in August, to thank fans for their kind wishes and share a poignant photo of the couple looking out towards the sea.
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"Thank you for all your kind messages yesterday - we soldier on [broken-heart emoji]," he simply wrote in the caption. Gary, 49, and Dawn, 50, were left heartbroken in August 2012 when their fourth child was delivered stillborn.
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The singer rarely speaks about his family tragedy but in his 2018 autobiography, A Better Me, Gary reflected on the pain of losing his child. In an extract, Gary wrote: "When she was born it was like a light came into the room. It was lovely, it was gorgeous, we both took turns cuddling her, and we took pictures. It was one of the best hours of my life I've ever experienced in the midst of the hardest time of my life. It was very powerful, that hour was."
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Gary continued: "Poppy looked perfect and for an hour she was alive to us. She's in your arms, this beautiful little daughter of ours, a sister to our three other children. Then the reality comes rushing into the room and all the air leaves your lungs. "It felt like someone had a hand held tight at my throat.
© Photo: InstagramGary shared this poignant photo with his wife
"The nurses start hovering and they want to take her away. What we experienced and saw over those 24 hours, no one should have to see or have to go through."
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At the time, the doting father released a statement, telling fans that he and Dawn had lost their baby. It read: "Our focus now is giving [Poppy] a beautiful funeral and loving our three children with all our hearts. We'd ask at this painful time that our privacy be respected." A few days later, Gary performed at the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony, drawing praise for his strength and braveness.
Gary and Dawn, who celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in January, met in 1995 when Dawn was working as a backup dancer on Take That's Nobody Else tour. They tied the knot in 2000, and are loving parents to three children: Daniel, 19, Emily, 18, and 11-year-old Daisy.
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