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Madeline Gaudreau announced the arrival of her son Tripp Matthew in an Instagram post on Sunday, Dec. 29. Her husband Matt and his brother Johnny died when they were hit while riding bicycles in Oldmans Township on Thursday, Aug. 29.
The photo showed Madeline holding the newborn’s tiny hand next to a wooden sign reading "He's here."
"Tripp Matthew 🤍🦋," the caption said. "Mommy & Daddy’s world."
Madeline's relatives showed their excitement for the newest member of the family.
"🩵 ☁️ ✨♑️ I love you Baby Tripp!" commented Meredith Gaudreau, who's Johnny's widow.
"Mom-Mom & Pop-Pop’s hearts are overflowing with love for you, Tripp Matthew," said Jane Gaudreau, the newborn's grandmother and the brothers' mother. "We are so incredibly proud of you and your mommy and I know your Daddy is too!💙"
A GoFundMe page created immediately after the brothers' deaths revealed Madeline was pregnant with Tripp. The memorial campaign had raised more than $859,300 from at least 9,400 donations as of Monday, Dec. 30.
Investigators said 44-year-old Sean Higgins of Woodstown struck Matt and Johnny while trying to pass two vehicles on Salem County Route 551 at around 8:19 p.m. An affidavit and police body camera video showed Higgins admitted to drinking about five or six beers before the crash.
Nicknamed by fans as "Johnny Hockey," the 31-year-old Gaudreau brother helped lead BC to a national championship in 2012 and won the 2014 Hobey Baker Award, given to the NCAA's top hockey player. Johnny went on to play 11 NHL seasons with the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets, making seven all-star games and winning the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 2017.
Matt, 29, played four minor league hockey seasons before returning to the brothers' alma mater of Gloucester Catholic High School as a coach. He and Johnny also graduated from Boston College, making it to the Frozen Four as teammates in 2014.
In October, Madeline had a baby shower she called "a little piece of heaven" that was also a tribute to Matt.
"The way you were able to tie in my husband brought instant tears when I walked in," she said in another Instagram post thanking the shower's organizers. "All my friends and family, nothing will bring his dad back or uncle John, but I am glad he has so many amazing people around him to remind him how amazing they were."
During the brothers' funeral, Meredith Gaudreau shared she was pregnant with her third child with Johnny.
Higgins was facing several charges in the deadly crash, including two counts of vehicular homicide, and remained in the Salem County Detention Center.
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