Derick Dillard and Jill Duggar Courtesy of @jillmduggar/Instagram
Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard have confirmed their direct family has not been affected by a tornado that has torn through multiple states.
Duggar, 32, and Dillard, 35, shared the good news via a joint statement on Sunday, May 26, but did add that some of their extended family were affected.
“Like most other ppl in our area of NW Arkansas/NE Oklahoma, we were awake through much of the night as tornadoes ripped through our area,” the Counting On alum and her husband wrote on an Instagram Story. “Thankfully we are ok, but friends and some family weren’t so fortunate. We are praying for those affected. Tornadoes missed us by a few miles.”
At least 15 people have died as a result of the devastating storms which left a trail of destruction across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas on Sunday.
The terrifying ordeal comes after an extremely difficult few months for the couple, who honored their stillborn daughter with a moving funeral service on April 19.
“Isla Marie, our baby girl. We will love you forever & hold you in our hearts until we hold you in heaven,” the couple captioned photos from the memorial via a joint Instagram post on April 23.
The photos depicted a small white box adorned with flowers and a stuffed animal rabbit. Placed next to the box was a bouquet of pink flowers, the vase of which was wrapped with a matching pink bow.
Photographs posted to Instagram more recently also show the couple commemorating their baby’s life through a burial service.
“We love & miss you baby girl!” Duggar captioned the April 26 post before sharing that the song “we sang at Isla’s graveside committal service is one that we sang to each of our children in the womb.”
Duggar and Dillard share three sons together — Israel, 9, Samuel, 6, and Freddy, 22 months.
The funeral service was held nearly two weeks after the couple shared news of their baby’s stillbirth via Instagram. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce the stillbirth of our beautiful baby girl, Isla Marie Dillard,” they wrote in a joint post on April 13. “Jill was 4 months pregnant (due in August) when we found out that our baby died in utero.”
Prior to welcoming little Freddy in July 2022, Jill suffered a pregnancy loss. “We recently found out we were expecting our third baby,” she explained via Instagram in October 2021. “We were thrilled! However, a few days later we started miscarrying. We love and miss you River Bliss!”
