When tight end Hunter Henry scored a touchdown in the second quarter of the Patriots-Bengals game Nov. 23, he spiked the football, walked over to a television camera, and said, “That’s for you, Lani.”
That Sunday, the Patriots kept linebacker Jahlani Tavai and his family at the top of their thoughts. Players said a prayer before kickoff. After hanging on for the 26-20 victory, teammates immediately FaceTimed Tavai from inside the visitors’ locker room at Paycor Stadium.
“We just wanted him to know how much we love him, how much we care for him, and how much we care for everything he’s got going on,” Henry said. “We’re brothers. I’ve been playing with him for a few years now and gotten close with him. Just wanted him to know he’s loved.”
Tavai stayed in Massachusetts that weekend to be with his partner, Kalei Mau, amid an unexpected, unthinkable tragedy.
Tavai and Mau welcomed their first child together, a baby girl named Honua, in November 2024. Mau was six months pregnant with the couple’s second child, a girl due in March 2026, when she got what she termed an extremely rare blood infection.
“On November 20, I was placed in a medically induced coma after I was found unresponsive in my bed. I was asleep for six days,” Mau detailed in an Instagram post shared late Wednesday. “Unfortunately, with my organs failing and the sickness infecting my placenta, our baby passed away in my womb.
“Hours later, my body went into natural labor and Jahlani watched me deliver our baby unconscious. He said it was like my body just knew what to do.
“Her name is Ka ua, which means ‘The Rain’ in Olelo O Hawai’i. And with Ka ua, everything grows. By the grace of God and the power of prayer, I woke up and it was clear what I had to continue to live for. Thank you Jesus.
“The day after I got out of the hospital, I got to kiss my daughter for the first and last time. She was perfect to me. It was so hard to leave her. But when I walked outside it started to rain and it brought me joy to know she’ll always be with me.”
Mau thanked Massachusetts General Hospital for saving her life, as well as the Patriots for supporting her and Tavai over the past three weeks.
“This is such a special team I’m honored to be a part of,” she wrote. “I’m home now healing and still processing but with a grateful heart.”
After an incredibly emotional absence, Tavai returned to the field for the Monday night game against the Giants. Coach Mike Vrabel named Tavai the team’s game captain. He also picked Tavai as the player to break down the huddle following the 33-15 win.
“These guys have built a bond that I want to try to just help nurture and help grow throughout the team,” Vrabel said. “Jahlani is somebody like that. You see everybody reaching out and caring for each other, not just him. But it was great to see him out there, play defense, help us on special teams. He made some plays and contributed to us winning.”
The outpouring of love the Patriots showed in support of Tavai is reflective of the culture Vrabel has built in his short 11 months as coach. Several players have remarked that this year’s group is one of the closest locker rooms they’ve ever experienced.
“Guys are really pulling for each other,” wide receiver Stefon Diggs said. “It’s not fake out there.”
Added owner Robert Kraft, “Caring for one another and supporting one another not just when things are going good — this is a terrific group of people that are putting the team first.”
The atmosphere inside the visitors’ locker room in Cincinnati certainly resonated throughout the organization.
“It was one of those moments where we felt like a family, like a real family,” cornerback Carlton Davis said. “That’s what football is about. It’s about creating that brotherhood, having each other’s backs on and off the field. To be able to FaceTime Jahlani after a tough win, and to see his smile and see him in better spirits, was everything for us. That’s what it’s all about.”
When Tavai broke down a week later, he expressed gratitude.
“I love the brotherhood in here,” he said. “I’d ride with any of you all any day. I love you guys and appreciate you guys.”
Nicole Yang can be reached at nicole.yang@globe.com. Follow her on X @nicolecyang.