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AFL WAG Jordan Ablett shares poignant tribute to mother Trudy Papalia

The West Australian
VideoAFL star Gary Ablett has welcomed a baby boy.

The wife of AFL star Gary Ablett Junior has shared a poignant tribute to her late mother with her 49,000 Instagram followers.

In her post shared today WAG Jordan Ablett is shown cuddling her 20-month-old son Levi under a colourful beach umbrella during a family holiday in Queensland’s gorgeous Whitsundays.

Clicking through to the second photo in the post reveals a message of grief drawn in the white sand that reads: “Mum. I love you.”

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“The last time I was on this beach was almost 7 years ago and it was with my mum and husband,” the sad WAG wrote.

“We were enjoying a picnic and spending quality time together.

“Always thinking of you.

“How special it is to now be sitting here with our son making new family memories.”

The mother-of-one’s beloved mother Trudy Papalia died from lung cancer in August.

“It is with great sadness we share that on Sunday night our precious mum and Nanna, Trudy, went peacefully to be with the Lord, surrounded by her loving family,” Ms Ablett shared at the time.

“Thank you for your messages of love, care, and support—we are very grateful.”

Ms Ablett has since posted several times of her grief at the loss of such a powerful female role model in her life.

“The way in which you lived taught us girls how to weather the storms of life together—with great strength, courage, selflessness, love and faith,” she wrote in September.

“I miss you so much and I think about you every single day and it’s so hard. No-one can ever replace a mother’s love and certainly not yours.”

The pain of her mother’s death has been marked by her young son’s shock diagnosis with an as-yet unnamed degenerative condition.

While the young family have chosen not to reveal the nature of the “extremely rare and degenerative disease”, Ms Ablett revealed she was staying positive amid her struggles.

“I’m so thankful that Levi finally received a diagnosis that would then propel him in the right direction to commence the appropriate treatment that we pray and hope will change his prognosis,” she wrote.

“I’m thankful that Levi has been surrounded by the incredible and fully-equipped medical professionals to care for him.

“Since G and I shared with you that Levi had been diagnosed with an extremely rare and degenerative disease we have been overwhelmed by the support that you’ve shown to our family.

“Thank you for entrusting us with your personal information and for being so real with us.”

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