Renee Arter was about a week away from her due date when she died. The loss of an unborn child is an incredibly painful moment for any parent - especially when it comes so late in the pregnancy.
For Rachel and Harry Arter, the world rallied around them in their difficult time. Harry would go on to star against Manchester United mere days after it happened, and was lauded for his bravery and courage.
Nothing that Harry has done in the meantime has been without bravery or courage. He has a tattoo with the Renee's name on it, as well as the date '10-12-2015' on his arm to remind him. A lot of people in the same situation would bottle it up, and not talk about it.
Harry Arter is not most people. He's frank and open about Renee. About his grief. About his grief that he's still going through, and why he wants to talk about her:
I still am grieving. I don't know really when you would stop. I'm happy to talk about her as if she's existed, like you guys would talk about your children.
It's amazing how many people come to the light. Some people don't want to talk to about it, which is respectable.
I'm more than happy to talk about her, it makes me proud that people are talking about her. Like you guys, I'm sure you want to talk about your kids in the same sort of light.
I learned about what is really important in life. As I sit here today, my most important thing is family, making sure everyone is healthy, making sure my partner is okay.
He talks about how his life has changed. How he's matured. How he's grown up in the aftermath. He played through the pain of injuries at Bournemouth trying to get back for the Euros, which he admits he probably shouldn't have done for his team.
After missing the March friendlies, he thought his shot was over - but O'Neill has kept faith in him so far. He'll have a chance to impress before O'Neill names his final squad. We'll see if Arter makes it.
I have her picture on my phone which I look at every day. To me, she's lived, she's been with the world and she's been a positive influence on my life, and other people's lives too.
See Also: Harry Arter Overcame Immense Personal Grief To Put In MOTM Performance Vs Man United
Picture credit: David Maher / SPORTSFILE
