Fitness Guru Tony Little Weeps Over Wife's Postpartum Depression

By Catherine Donaldson-Evans Posted Mar 3rd 2011 04:10PM

Exuberant workout mogul Tony Little is well known for preaching "there's always a way." But even Little couldn't find his own way after his wife gave birth to dangerously premature twins and then slipped into a numbing fog later diagnosed as postpartum depression.

For the blond ponytailed Little, 54, life was as perfect as it gets. The man who calls himself "America's personal trainer" had a successful TV career as an exercise motivator. He'd met his beautiful fitness model wife Melissa Hall during one of his gigs at the Home Shopping Network and married her in a fairy tale beach wedding. And he was expecting twin babies during what began as a healthy, normal pregnancy.

That all changed when tiny Chase and Cody were born three months early, with no warning, at under 2 pounds each. Suddenly, Little and Hall found themselves walking the shaky line between life and death with their own children.

The baby boys were born in November 2009 and instantly had to fight to survive. Most of their major organs were severely underdeveloped and in jeopardy of failing. At just a month old, Chase had to undergo heart surgery. Cody experienced bleeding in the brain.

Perhaps the toughest thing of all for the new parents was the fact that they couldn't even hold their fragile little boys, who had to be kept in incubators because their immune systems were so weak.

"It was hard because you couldn't touch them," Little told the 'Today' show. Watch the segment:

Even worse was what seemed to Hall like a cruel joke: Dozens of women around her were giving birth to healthy babies and starting their lives together as a family.

"I had to walk the long hallway every day, and I would just see the proud dad and mom in the wheelchair, and they're holding their baby, and they had the balloon, and it was almost like a torture," she said, her voice cracking. "When is my baby going to be able to come home?"

It would be three long months before she would see that day. Cody left the hospital first, and then a week later, Chase followed. But the newborns needed constant medical care. The most challenging, said Little, was keeping Chase's feeding tube in place.

"He was being fed through the nose, and he would rip it out," he told 'Today.' "She'd hold him down, and I would have to try to weave the tube back down through his nose and into his stomach."

In the midst of it all, the black cloud of postpartum depression overtook the normally glowing, upbeat Hall. The stress and anguish she felt sent her plunging into the depths of sadness and apathy.

"It was a totally different person," Little said, his eyes reddening. "It was very difficult for everyone here."

And it's still an ongoing struggle, even now that the twins have turned a year old.

"I felt like it would go away, feeling that disconnect with the children," Hall told the show. "Then I just said, 'You know, Melissa, you wanted to be a mom, you wanted this responsibility to love your child. You need to be there for them.'"

Little said he thought he'd already been through the toughest time of his life before his baby boys were born. He realizes now that he was wrong: This has been his greatest hurdle.

"Not having the kids, then losing my wife," he said through tears. "I always believe. There is a lot higher percentage of winning when you believe."

Though the boys are now healthy and doing well, it isn't completely clear yet what health problems they may face in the future, if any. But for the time being, the joy they bring their parents keeps them going.

"They always make you smile," said Little. "It is an amazing thing."

Fitness Tips From Tony:

Tags: Tony Little

Comments

(67)

Thursday 03 March

By stu

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I weep everytime i see him in spandex.
He & Dog The Bounty Hunter need to cut their nasty locks.

By becky

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Nasty locks? The only good thing about Dog is his hair. Who wants to look at wrinkled up old skull skin.
Long hair rules

Friday 04 March

By asuigeneris1

Truth is, anyone can have short hair...but long hair takes much more maintenance and time.

I give credit where it's due, Little's hair looks nice and healthy.

By garth

my heart bleeds

By firebirdninety8

What's heartbreaking is that Tony Little is llowed to be on TV in the first damn place

By tom

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you meant to type "I feel so bad for Tony and his wife!"

By ZG

Some people can't have children at all. That is the cruelest cut.
Remember when your situation is bad, someone always has it even worse.

By minightowl

That doesn't mean they feel less pain. They may hurt for a different reason, but they still hurt. However, I'm glad to see the boys survived and thrived. I'm saying a prayer for the whole family's continued well-being.

By Marcia

evev though i miscarried twice last year, the 2nd was 5months old, i still cant say that i would wish their story for my life. i am in depression and never happy, but i know i would not want their pain. at least they have the kids, but they went thru so much to get them and keep them, so i dont think ppl saying at least they have them because there are those who dont have any, but tell me, who wants to go thru that? if u were told that this would happen to you, would u go thru it or be ok with no kids at all? for me, i dont know if i could put a feeding tube down my childs throat, i can see why hall is depressed. sooooo, i will never be jealous of ppl like them because they have more than earned their right to be parents.

By Bill

I can see the chat is full of jealous haters tonight. Tony Little is the epitomy of what America is all about. He is a hard working, entrepprenorial gentleman who is obviously a good family man also. Now why don't you guys go watch Charlie Sheen!!

By bonnie

Bill at last a male human tks, I agree guys would rather be like that mad man, rather than a man that worked himself back from personal injury's to be a hard wrking responsible human..

By Robert Wiegand

YOU are so right!!!

By 335

lol I thought he was gay

By GaBe

Haha, i thought the same thing

Saturday 12 November

By jbag

Oh...he's gay alright. This woman is merely the surrogate mother of his kids. She received artificial insemination via Tony's b/f gerka debonaire. I read this in the news. It has to be true.

By bon

Tony keep the faith, God gave you those babies for a reason, that may not be clear as of now but, love them as im sure you do, as for your wife, with help, she will be fine, believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel.. God Bless.. much love to you and your beautiful family..Bonnie

By Bountyman

Ah, yes, God, the almighty hokey-pokie champion. He puts you in jeopardy, then he pulls you back out, then He shakes you all about. How mysterious. It's always about "God", isn't it! I was told once that if you pray hard enough you can make water run uphill. I asked, "How hard do I have to pray?" "Why, hard enough to make water run uphill, of course."

By chris

tony keep the faith God is in charge He always has a reason for the things that happen to us God bless you and your family

By vickie

God doesn't give you sick kids.....for a reason...what ever reason would he do that....?

By givealittlebit

God Bless you and your family Tony, stay strong always!

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