There are times in life when everything stops. For Missy Bo Kearns, that moment came in March 2026. She’d only just celebrated sharing her pregnancy with the world—alongside partner Liam Walsh, also a professional footballer—when reality threw her a devastating curveball. In a whirlwind, her life went from planning for the future to fighting for it. Her story brings together raw pain, the tough road to recovery, and an unbroken determination to return to the game she loves.
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The moment everything changed: unexpected tragedy on and off the pitch
The excitement started early March, when Kearns and Liam Walsh announced their pregnancy, a milestone for the young midfielder whose career has taken her from Liverpool beginnings to having joined Aston Villa in 2024. But on 18 March, training at Bodymoor Heath, she began to feel unwell. She recalls initially thinking her symptoms were like pregnancy symptoms, before club doctor Jodie Blackadder-Weinstein checked her and found her temperature had soared to 42 degrees. Shivering and disorientated, Kearns was rushed to hospital.
"We went to the hospital, and that's when we found out that straight away, we had lost the baby and that I'd got sepsis. So, it was a shock, because I'd literally been doing pilates and gym an hour before, and my whole life just changed like that."
In a Birmingham hospital, she and Walsh endured "three, four days of hell in hospital", facing loss and the grave danger of sepsis together. Kearns didn’t want to go initially:
"There's nothing worse than obviously going to a hospital, but they probably saved my life because I had sepsis, and while having that, I wasn't even thinking about the sepsis. It was: I've lost my child - and Liam was probably thinking the same."
From hospital to the pitch: recovery, setbacks, and looking ahead
Sepsis, as the article explains, is the body’s potentially fatal response to infection—a medical emergency damaging tissues and organs. For Kearns, the aftermath reached beyond physical health. She admits:
"I wouldn't say I'm fully coping."
Waves of grief and trauma come and go. The club’s quick action was crucial, but healing both mental and physical is ongoing.
On the football front, her return is months away. Kearns confirmed she won’t play again before next season, saying:
"Football is my happy place, and I'm here now, and I'm excited to be here and keep trying to build and build and get myself right ready for next season."
Her aim remains clear: a place in England’s World Cup squad for Brazil 2027.
"It's a big year next year, and my plan while I was pregnant was to make the World Cup squad, and that's not changed, so the next few months is getting myself physically, mentally strong, ready for a big season, and to try and make the World Cup squad."
She also shared a profound realisation:
"I've realised, like there's more to life than football, but now I'm going to enjoy every minute of football like it's my last because it could have been."
Coping, community and hope: the bigger picture for Missy Bo Kearns
Loss, hospital corridors and a World Cup dream—Kearns’ struggle is as intimate as it is public. She openly admits she’s still adapting, emphasising the ongoing process of coping:
"I wouldn't say I'm fully coping."
She highlights the importance of support, mentioning Tommy’s, a UK charity for pregnancy and baby loss, as a valuable resource. Her partner, family and club have stood by her, yet she’s learning to ride waves of emotion—sometimes overwhelming, sometimes fading.
For fans and fellow players, her honesty breaks taboos and offers a rare, truthful glimpse behind the scenes of professional sport. Her story resonates beyond football: Missy Bo Kearns shows that true strength isn’t just about coming back from injury, but finding meaning in life’s toughest moments.
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Sources used:
Missy Bo Kearns: Aston Villa and England midfielder discusses her miscarriage
