“Sister Wives” Star Janelle Brown Mourns Late Son Garrison at First Christmas Since His Death: ‘Miss You So Much’

It was bittersweet Christmas for Janelle Brown, who celebrated the holiday on Wednesday, Dec. 25 for the first time after the death of her son, Garrison Brown.

The Sister Wives Star, 55, took some time amid the festivities to commemorate her late son on Instagram Stories, sharing a set of photos of her family together taken on Christmas Eve in 2023.

“Miss you so much sweetheart,” she wrote alongside the images. “I am so beyond grateful we were all together last year and got pictures.”

The first photo Janelle posted was a family snap of herself beside all six of her children, whom she shares with ex Kody Brown, their spouses and her grandchildren. A second photo was snapped as Garrison pulled her in for a kiss on her cheek.

Related: Sister Wives' Janelle Brown Marks Late Son Garrison's 26th Birthday: 'I Still Feel You Nearby'

Related: Sister Wives' Janelle Brown Is 'Brought to Tears' Over Support of Late Son Garrison as Loved Ones Continue to Honor Him

Garrison was found dead in his home in Arizona on March 5, the Flagstaff Police Department told PEOPLE. Officers responded to a report of a death inside a home and confirmed that Garrison's brother Gabriel, 23, had "discovered Mr. Brown deceased." Officials later ruled his manner of death as a suicide.

Janelle and Kody confirmed the news in a joint statement on Instagram, saying that they were  “deeply saddened to announce the loss” of Garrison.

"He was a bright spot in the lives of all who knew him," they continued. "His loss will leave such a big hole in our lives that it takes our breath away. We ask that you please respect our privacy and join us in honoring his memory."

In an emotional conversation with PEOPLE in September, Janelle noted she and the rest of Garrison's family felt blindsided by his death as he had seemed “very upbeat” in the months prior to the incident.

"We just had no idea that he was in that place," Janelle said, adding that "substance abuse" likely played a role in his state of mind before his death. "But he didn't ever express any kind of extreme sad feelings."

The reality star said there weren't any obvious warning signs as Garrison frequently spoke to the family. Towards the end of his life, she says her son checked in with his loved ones, had adopted another cat and felt "really excited" about his career prospects.

"I really actually had sort of thought like, 'Okay, maybe he's finally starting to get his momentum,'" she said. "It's hard in your twenties to find your path. And I was really excited, so it was such a shock... because there was just no indication at all."

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She added that his death was a wake up call for her and her family, which has changed the way they communicate with each other. She said they now do "real check-ins" whenever they connect.

"We're very real and we assess," she explains. "Life situations come up and we're always like, 'Okay, so what about mental health?' We actually say the words and we wait to hear what's really happening, not just kind of gloss over it. I think we're definitely putting more stock in mental health in our family."

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