Former All Blacks prop Angus Ta’avao''s son Leo has died.
Ta'avao, a former Chiefs and Blues squad member who is now with the Highlanders and played for the southerners in their win over the Crusaders on Friday night, shared the update on social media today.
“We are heartbroken to share that our beautiful boy Leo has gained his angel wings,” Ta’avao wrote.
“After a brief battle in PICU [Pediatric Intensive Care Unit], Leo passed away surrounded by his loved ones.”
Leo was born with partial-trisomy-13 – a genetic disorder which affected a child's ability to grow – and spent the first three months of his life in hospital.
“You have left a giant Leo-sized hole in our hearts darling, we will miss you so, so much. Til we meet again our baby boy,” Ta’avao wrote on social media.
In a 2018 interview with Stuff, when Leo was just 14 months old, Ta’avao spoke of his young son being his inspiration.
"If I'm having a difficult day, seeing him makes it all better," Ta’avao said.
"The smile he gives us, gets me. It sounds so cliché, but when I see that, it melts my heart."
The sad news has prompted an outpouring of support for the Ta’avao family.
All Blacks vice-captain Ardie Savea wrote: "Praying and thinking of you and the family, uso."
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