Jill Duggar Shares Why She and Husband Derick ‘Really Wanted’ to Plan a Funeral for Stillborn Daughter Isla

NEED TO KNOW

• Jill Duggar Dillard recently opened up about her decision to have a funeral for her stillborn daughter
• During the Wednesday, March 11 episode of The Jinger & Jeremy podcast, she shared how planning a funeral for her stillborn daughter helped her grieving process
• She also reflected on the importance of honoring her daughter’s life and finding ways to process her loss

Jill Duggar Dillard is opening up about her decision to have a funeral for her stillborn daughter.

During the Wednesday, March 11 episode of the Jinger & Jeremy podcast, the former reality TV star, 34, and her husband Derick Dillard, 37, sat down with her sister Jinger Duggar and husband Jeremy Vuolo to talk about the heartbreaking pregnancy loss they experienced with their daughter Isla. While speaking about how she has allowed herself to grieve her loss, Jill candidly revealed the thought process behind planning a funeral for their stillborn daughter.

“We planned a funeral because that was something that we really wanted,” she explained. “I think anybody at any stage of pregnancy, you can minimize it [and] you can say, ‘Oh, you’re only this many weeks [or] that many weeks.’ It doesn’t matter, like, whatever you feel is going to remember your baby and remember their life in a significant way.”

The 19 Kids and Counting alum went on to say that the funeral was “really helpful” for her and her husband’s grieving process.

“It was really helpful for us … that we do as much of the grieving in a tangible way as possible,” Jill said, adding, “And, I had seen my mom grieve. I had seen my sisters grieve losses. I had seen other people. So, I was able to incorporate some of those experiences and thankfully have more knowledge and more resources at my fingertips because of that.”

On Friday, Feb. 27, Jill shared a photo of herself sitting in the grass next to her late daughter’s grave on Instagram, nearly two years after she shared the sad news.

“Life is a constant combination of ups and downs, joy and sorrow, roses and thorns,” Jill wrote in the caption. “Anyone who has experienced loss knows that it’s often in the quiet moments when the waves come stronger and we are reminded more of the hole left by a loss. Or sometimes it’s felt deeper at a place that just gives you the space to feel. I’m so grateful to have a place to go to remember our daughter.”

The reality star, who’s also mom to sons Frederick, 3, Samuel, 8, and Israel, 10, also shared a few snaps of herself spending quality time with her boys by cuddling up next to them in bed, trying out a new recipe for “froyo dots” and baking them cinnamon swirl bread.

“So thankful for the recent happy moments too,” she continued in the caption. “The sun continues to shine & I love trying out my kids cooking! Recent recipes included maple cinnamon swirl bread & Froyo dots! 😋”

On what would’ve been Isla’s first birthday on Aug. 25, 2025, Jill also paid a special tribute to her late daughter, sharing a series of photos and videos of her and the family spending the day at the cemetery.

“This August marks what should have been a time of celebration,” she wrote at the time. “We should have been celebrating her 1st birthday in style with a smash cake and all things pink. But instead, we changed out her pink grave flowers for some new ones and took a walk around the cemetery with the boys and thought about how she would be toddling along with the big bros and be so loved (and picked on too of course 😄).”