TRIGGER WARNING: This article discusses infant loss and infant death. If you find any of these topics distressing, please contact SANDS on 1300 308 307.
The Block’s Dani Wales has candidly spoken about her “horrifically painful year” after the tragic death of her baby daughter, Billie.
Foreman Dan Reilly and his wife, Dani, welcomed Billie on December 8, 2024, but she sadly died just 10 days later due to complications from the birth.
In an emotional Instagram post, Dani – who recently announced her second pregnancy – has now spoken about finding “purpose” in 2026 after the difficult year.
“Stepping into 2026 with a renewed sense of self, purpose & energy (most days 😅) after a horrifically painful year I’m so relieved is now behind me,” she wrote.
“Showing up for others was hard — but showing up for myself was even harder at times.
“With so many “firsts” I should have experienced with my daughter falling in 2025, the weight of getting through the year was a lot to carry.
“And even though there’s a lifetime of firsts still to come, it somehow now feels just a little less overwhelming. At least for today anyway.
“I’m moving into this year with clarity — ready to welcome and feel everything coming my way, knowing that my grief will start to walk beside immense joy, and that the two can and will co-exist.”
She went on to speak about her second pregnancy, as she and Dan are due to welcome their second child later in 2026.
“It’s a year of new life, both literally & figuratively,” she continued.
“Closing chapters. Opening new ones. New ventures, goals, places & faces… and my perfect girl with me every step of the way.”
Heartfelt tribute
Dan took to Instagram to pen a lengthy tribute to her late daughter on the first anniversary of her death in December 2025.
She shared a photograph of her and Dan by Billie’s bedside along with their two beloved dogs, Hazel and Olive, in a moment she said they will never forget.
“When Dan read his journal entry for the day to me that night, while I was holding Billie, it sounded like he’d read me a beautiful story — a story about love & celebration of firsts,” she wrote.
“It was a snapshot in time of our lives where nothing mattered beyond the once-in-a-lifetime experiences & memories we had made together that day, the 17th December 2024.”
“Tonight we’ll read ‘Billie’s Special Day’ and remember that day, a day like no other. The care & love we were shown by @theroyalwomens NICU and the support in making this day happen for us with @heartfelt_ausnz there to capture it, will never be forgotten.”
“A moment, a love. A dream, aloud.”
The couple have written a book, titled Billie’s Special Day, in honour of their first child, and it is due to be released in March 2026.
They also set up a charity, Billie’s Besties, in her memory. It is dedicated to supporting families impacted by intensive care, loss and bereavement.
In January, Foreman Dan took to Instagram and wrote about the memories the couple shared with their late daughter.
“Although it was short, we have so many happy memories. Billie taught me more about life in 10 days than in 41 years on this planet. She is the gift that I am so thankful for,” he said.
“Her mum and my wife @dani_wales has been so inspiring to see the love and strength she gave and gives to our family every day.”
Heartbreaking news
The couple took to social media on December 20, 2024, to confirm their newborn daughter, Billie Vera Reilly sadly passed away.
In a statement posted to both of their Instagram accounts, the couple revealed their angel was born on December 8 and died on December 18.
“It is with insurmountable grief that we share the news that our daughter Billie has passed on from this life and into the next at just 10 days young,” they wrote at the time.
“In Billie’s short time in this world, she taught us an intensity of both love and pain we never knew possible. She taught us what really matters. Billie was so wanted, so loved, and she made us parents… and what an honour it is to be her mummy and daddy. She will always be our daughter.”
“It’s clear to us that Billie was far too good for this world, but if we know anything for sure, it’s that Billie’s legacy will make an impact greater than all of us.”
The grieving parents shared a beautiful photo of themselves with their beautiful Billie to accompany the announcement.
In their statement, they also praised “Billie’s Besties” at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne.
“The doctors & staff in NICU are some of the most incredible people to walk this earth, and we’ll be forever grateful for the care and love they gave our girl, and us.”
They added that they would share more about their loss in time, but for now, they would appreciate privacy as they worked through their grief together and with their loved ones.
The couple, who competed in the 2012/2013 season of the popular reality series, first took to Instagram on July 21 to announce they would be becoming parents.
“So, who’s going to tell them the pram isn’t theirs?! Baby Reilly incoming late 2024,” Dani wrote alongside a sweet photo of the pair with a pram and their two dogs.
In November 2025, Dan and Dani announced that they are set to be parents again, after Billie’s tragic passing.
They announced that Dani was pregnant again in an Instagram post shared on November 2.
“As sure as the sun rises and sets each day, she is with us for this next chapter…,” they wrote, alongside a photo of the pair at the beach at sunset.
“Billie’s sibling coming 2026. To those navigating pregnancy and infant loss, IVF, and fertility challenges — we see you.”
The couple dated for eight years before they got engaged in July 2017.
They later married in an outdoor ceremony at a private estate in Fingal on the Mornington Peninsula in November 2018.
Nowadays, Dani and Dan own a gym in Frankston called STRONG Pilates & Recovery Frankston, as well as their own Interior Design & Residential Construction company called Manna Made.
