Type of loss: Twin loss, TTTS Stage 4

More about this episode: In this episode of Confessions of a Grieving Mother, we talk with Rachel Badalamenti as she shares the incredible, emotional, and deeply complex journey that brought her both her sons...Dean and Robbie.

After years of infertility, multiple failed IUIs and IVF cycles, and finally finding the right doctor, Rachel learned she was pregnant with twins. What began as overwhelming joy quickly shifted when, at 23 weeks, she was diagnosed with Stage 2 Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS). Despite the fear and uncertainty, Rachel and her husband chose laser surgery in hopes of saving both babies.

When Rachel woke from surgery, she learned that her son Dean had passed away due to heart failure. She carried him with his brother, Robbie, all the way to 35 weeks, a gift she calls nothing short of a miracle. On Easter Sunday, Rachel delivered both of her boys, holding the heartbreak of losing Dean alongside the profound gratitude of welcoming her surviving son, Robbie.

Rachel opens up about the grief that resurfaces as Robbie reaches milestones, the strength she found through hope, and the vulnerability she brings in sharing both her love and her loss. Her story is a powerful reminder that no parent walks this journey alone.