‘16 and Pregnant’ star Whitney Purvis reveals she ‘can’t imagine going on’ after son Weston’s death

Whitney Purvis is sharing heartbreaking details of how she’s coping after the loss of her son, Weston Owen Gosa.
Weston passed away at age 16 on June 2, and on Friday, the MTV alum, 33, opened up to People about the aftermath.
“I can’t distract myself. It’s going through my mind constantly. I hate to even pick up my phone,” Purvis told the outlet.
“When I’m not crying, I’m just staring at the ceiling,” she emotionally recalled. “I never wanted to go through something like this. I mean, I know no one does, but you never think it’ll happen to you, and I just can’t even imagine a future now. I can’t imagine going on after this.”
Purvis detailed that she is “standing still, just frozen” since Weston’s death.
“I can’t distract myself,” she went on. “It’s going through my mind constantly. I hate to even pick up my phone.”
The “16 and Pregnant” star, who also shares son River, born in 2014, with ex Weston Gosa Sr. and is mom to Collin Adonis, 2, explained to the outlet that Weston had more health issues than “what a kid should go through.”
“He had a lot of medical problems, more than what a kid should go through,” Purvis detailed. “He was born with Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency when he was a baby, but then when he got older, he was diagnosed with Addison’s disease, and then that’s what brought out the diabetes.”
She added, “He hated having diabetes, and he hated the needles. He would cry and ask, ‘Why did that have to happen to him? Why did he have to have diabetes?’” It was just something hard for him to accept.”
Purvis did share that the support she’s received on social media, along with the donations people have made to the Spotfund started by Weston’s stepmom, Amy Gosa, to raise money for his funeral and headstone, have helped “make me feel better.”
“It’s nice to see people care and care about him,” she told the outlet. “I’m very grateful for the support people have been giving me and giving his father and stepmom.”
On Tuesday, the former reality star announced the passing of Weston.
“This is so hard to write. My beautiful son, Weston has passed away. He was only 16 years old. Life is so cruel and unfair. I just dont understand. Oh my baby is gone and I don’t know what to do with myself,” Purvis said in a Facebook post.
“He was so perfect. This is really my worst nightmare come true. How do you go on in life after losing a child? I’m in disbelief, this cannot be happening. I don’t want it to be real,” the mom of three penned. “I would do anything just to hold him. Words just can’t describe the pain I am feeling.”
Purvis concluded the heart-wrenching post with a message to the late teen. “I love you so much, Weston Owen Gosa. God, I love you so much. You are my heart. I was so proud of the young man you were becoming. I just can’t go on without you. Rest in Peace, my angel. You are gone too soon. April 2, 2009 – June 2, 2025,” she wrote.
That same day, she took to Instagram to pay tribute to the teen.
“I will always cherish our memories together,” Purvis began. “The songs you use to love, your laugh, the phases you would go through, the little dolphin noise you use to do when you were younger, your smile, your jokes, the first day of school, playing with you, your first time swimming, making crafts, how you would dance in your crib to the law and order svu theme song, being a great big brother, the first time I held you and the last hug I gave you.”
Although she didn’t reveal Weston’s cause of death, she shared that he had “several health issues” before his death and confirmed that an autopsy would be conducted.
“Its really difficult to write this but this morning little Weston passed away,” Gosa wrote on her own Facebook post. “We do not know the cause, they will do an autopsy soon but all we know is we got up this morning around 7 am and tried to wake him up, he was not breathing, we attempted cpr and called an ambulance.”
“The paramedics attempted it as well and took him to the hospital in Gordon County where he was pronounced dead,” she added alongside a slew of pictures of Weston. “He had several health issues as well as diabetes.”
On Thursday, Purvis shared a sweet video from Weston’s childhood, writing, “Weston’s first birthday / April 2, 2010. I remember it like it was yesterday. He ate so much cake he needed a spoon and fork. It was SpongeBob themed and this was his smash cake.”