Erica Mena reveals son Legend in NICU after premature birth
The reality TV star posted the newborn baby's name on Instagram and says that he and Mena are "staying strong."
Reality TV star Erica Mena shared an image of her newborn son on her Instagram page following his early delivery.
In a short video, she is shown holding the infant, who remains in the neonatal intensive care unit 10 days after his premature birth. The clip features the song “Blessed,” by Wizkid featuring Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley.
She wrote that the baby’s name is Legend Brian Samuels and that he and Mena are “staying strong.”
“So far five out of the ten days, I felt lost,” Mena, 33, shared in a lengthy caption. “I’m feeling guilty, confused, and scared. I’ve been getting phone calls and receiving messages. I’m asked a million times how I’m doing and if I’m ok. But how can you be doing? Can you really be ok right now?”
“BUT I Remind myself, they love me and are reaching out BECAUSE they love me,” she maintained. “They might not understand but they want to. This journey I’m on feels long. It has been tough. I’m taking steps forward, and I’m taking some back. I have good days and I’m preparing for the bad ones.”
Mena then listed things she is looking forward to, writing, “You will be able to look in the mirror, and not cry. You will be able to talk about it. You will accept it. You will stop blaming yourself!”
“This whole experience has taught me how important it is to protect my peace,” she continued. “How important it is to turn my pain into power. It has also given me a different type of strength for not only me but my kids.”
The three-time mother, who starred on both Love & Hip Hop: New York and Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta, declares that she will make her children proud, writing “no more settling and fighting for anything that doesn’t deserve me only because you three forever deserve the best of me.”
Part of the motivation behind Mena’s lengthy and transparent post may be the fact that Safaree Samuels, the father of her two youngest children — 1-year-old Safire Majesty and newborn Legend — is in his native Jamaica celebrating his birthday.
Samuels turned 40 on July 4, Independence Day. The estranged couple are currently in the process of a divorce with Mena filing legal paperwork in May.
The latest season of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, which launched this week, is reportedly centered around the storyline documenting the end of Mena and Samuels’ brief marriage.
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