Lisa Ray And Husband Jason Dehni Announce Birth Of Twin Daughters Via Surrogacy. See Pics

Actress Lisa Ray and her husband Jason Dehni have become parents to twin daughters - Sufi and Soleil. The actress announced the news on social media with adorable photos of the new born babies along with excerpts from her interview to Bombay Times. Sufi and Soleil were born via surrogacy. The 46-year-old actress in an interview to Bombay Times revealed that she wanted to share her story with everyone in order to remove the stigma attached around surrogacy. "Hopefully, our story can give hope to others who are struggling to have kids. Life throws you both challenges and miracles, and I'm unspeakably grateful for my miracle daughters," read an excerpt from Lisa Ray's interview to Bombay Times.

 

Via @bombaytimes: 'The actress says she wanted to share her story to clear the myths around surrogacy. "I wanted to share our struggles and triumph. Having been open about my cancer journey and receiving so much unconditional support, sharing this moment of happiness feels right. Hopefully, our story can give hope to others who are struggling to have kids. Life throws you both challenges and miracles, and I'm unspeakably grateful for my miracle daughters," she said. So, what plans does she have for her girls in future? "I will teach my girls to be resilient, strong, open, and that they can achieve anything they set their hearts on. There are no boundaries, except the ones in our minds and children have no idea of what they can and cannot achieve. Bringing up the next generation to be kind is the greatest chance we have for a better future. I can't resist whispering in their tiny ears - 'The Future is Female'," she asserted.' Images @aligphoto MUH @jomakeupartist PR manager @bazinga_ent

A post shared by lisaraniray (@lisaraniray) on Sep 16, 2018 at 11:19pm PDT

Lisa Ray, a cancer survivor, narrated the ordeals she faced during the process and said that it was the support of her husband, friends and family, which helped her sail through the difficult times. "We hired an agency to help, had an unsuccessful attempt in Mexico, and spent a lot of money, emotional resources and sleepless nights. But as a cancer survivor, I firmly believe in overcoming the odds. And with my husband and a few close friends' support, we hoped for the best," she told Bombay Times.

 

Via @bombaytimes: 'Lisa narrated the tough and, at times, frustrating journey they had to undertake, "We hired an agency to help, had an unsuccessful attempt in Mexico, and spent a lot of money, emotional resources and sleepless nights. But as a cancer survivor, I firmly believe in overcoming the odds. And with my husband and a few close friends' support, we hoped for the best. Finally, we settled on Georgia, where the surrogacy process is legal, transparent, regulated and overall beneficial for both sides. We relocated to Tbilisi for a few months for the birth." The actress believes that she has successfully buried her old views that having kids would slow her down. Talking about her husband's role in their journey, she said, "My husband and I are becoming parents in our mid-40s, which is also unconventional, but the right time for us. I love to see Jason with them, growing into his new role as a father, holding them, changing diapers, with a burp cloth I got him, which is embroidered with 'Men Who Change Diapers, Change the World'." Images @aligphoto MUH @jomakeupartist PR manager @bazinga_ent

A post shared by lisaraniray (@lisaraniray) on Sep 16, 2018 at 11:21pm PDT

Talking about her husband's role in the journey, Lisa Ray said: "My husband and I are becoming parents in our mid-40s, which is also unconventional, but the right time for us. I love to see Jason with them, growing into his new role as a father, holding them, changing diapers, with a burp cloth I got him, which is embroidered with 'Men Who Change Diapers, Change the World'."

In the Bombay Times article, Lisa explained how her cancer diagnosis prevented her from having a baby, hence the couple decided to go with surrogacy. "It has been an arduous and interesting experience. Having been diagnosed with multiple myeloma (a form of blood cancer) in 2009, which requires me to be on a lifelong dose of medication, pre-empted the possibility for me to carry children myself. Fortunately, technology has progressed where there are choices and new possibilities for having children. My husband and I decided to pursue surrogacy. India was the obvious choice. We consulted a reputed fertility doctor, but a week before we could begin, India outlawed commercial surrogacy."

 

Courtesy @bombaytimes: 'Lisa shared, "Every new phase of life challenges my openness and the ability to adapt with each new experience." Lisa and Jason have named their daughters Sufi - the mystic - and Soleil - the French word for 'sun'. They were born via surrogacy in Tbilisi, Georgia, in June. "It has been an arduous and interesting experience. Having been diagnosed with multiple myeloma (a form of blood cancer) in 2009, which requires me to be on a lifelong dose of medication, pre-empted the possibility for me to carry children myself. Fortunately, technology has progressed where there are choices and new possibilities for having children. My husband and I decided to pursue surrogacy. India was the obvious choice. We consulted a reputed fertility doctor, but a week before we could begin, India outlawed commercial surrogacy. We were crushed. While I understand the pressing need to regulate the industry and prevent exploitation of surrogate mothers, it was a case of literally throwing out the baby with the bath water. But, I was determined. My husband and I were advised we could continue the process in India and that there were 'ways'. But we did not want to bring our children into the world under a cloud of uncertainty," she said.' Image @aligphoto MUH @jomakeupartist PR manager @bazinga_ent

A post shared by lisaraniray (@lisaraniray) on Sep 16, 2018 at 11:23pm PDT

However, Lisa reveals that embracing motherhood was never on the cards but once she married Jason, her desire to have children grew. "Many things in my life have been unplanned. So, when the desire for children grew after I married my soulmate, Jason Dehni, it frankly caught me by surprise, Bombay Times quoted Lisa as saying.

Bringing up the next generation to be kind is the greatest chance we have for a better future. I can't resist whispering in their tiny ears - 'The Future is Female'," she concluded.

Lisa Ray was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer in 2009 and a year later in April, she was declared a survivor. Lisa married Jason Dehni, a banking executive, in 2012 in Napa Valley, California.

Lisa is best known for featuring in the song Afreen Afreen, composed by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. She has featured in films such as Bollywood/Hollywood, Water, I Can't Think Straight and Veerappan. She was last seen in Bollywood film Dobaara, co-starring Huma Qureshi and Saqib Saleem.