Their miracle baby born after infertility just made them grandparents

A couple in Israel who were told they would not be able to conceive a child recently welcomed their first grandchild, delivered by the same doctor who delivered their daughter.

Key Takeaways:

• In 2001, Dudi and Esther welcomed a daughter after 21 years of marriage and infertility.

• Their baby girl, Ruchama-Chaya, was born prematurely via emergency C-section after Esther developed preeclampsia.

• Now 24, Ruchama-Chaya just welcomed her first child, a boy, who was delivered by the same doctor who saved her life (and her mother's) 24 years ago.

The Backstory:

According to Vin News, in 2001, Dudi and Esther Roth had all but given up on having children. Told they were not likely to conceive, they were in their 40s and considering adoption when they decided to give it one more chance. After 21 years of marriage, they were shocked to learn they were expecting a baby.

"Doctors told us we wouldn't be able to have children," Dudi said. "We had already started the adoption process but decided to give it one final chance, and then Esther became pregnant. It was indescribably emotional."

The pregnancy, however, did not go smoothly.

At 23 weeks, Esther was diagnosed with preeclampsia and was referred to specialist Prof. Simcha Yagel. Yagel admitted Esther to the hospital and worked to prolong her pregnancy and prevent a premature delivery. However, about a week later, he had to make the decision to deliver the baby girl at just 24 weeks to save both their lives.

ACOG pregnancy book suggests early delivery – not abortion – for pregnancy complications

"The pregnancy hadn't progressed far enough, but it became a life-threatening situation for both the mother and the fetus, and there was no choice but to perform surgery," he said.

Baby Ruchama-Chaya, a name symbolizing both mercy and life, was born via emergency C-section, weighing only 495 grams (just under one pound, two ounces). She was given a three percent chance of survival. The staff in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) reportedly treated her like "the queen of the unit."

"Even a chicken you buy at the supermarket weighs more than that," said Dudi. "I was afraid to get attached to her, afraid something would happen. Esther, on the other hand, bonded with her from the first moment."

“God had mercy,” he added. “It was a very difficult time. Prayer and faith carried us through. No one could promise anything given her tiny weight and the many risks involved. But the NICU team, led by Dr. Zivanit Argaz, believed in her.”

Prof. Yagel went to the NICU daily to check on her. “I came every day to see that little baby, truly believing and hoping she would grow up healthy. I treated her like a member of my own family," he said.

After six months, Ruchama-Chaya was sent home from the hospital, and she thrived. The family kept in touch with Prof. Yagel, and he even attended Ruchama-Chaya's wedding.

The Details:

When Ruchama-Chaya was 24, the family learned they would soon welcome another new life.

She was "afraid [pregnancy] wouldn't happen because of what her mother went through," said Dudi, "but Esther and I always believed she'd be a mother herself."

After learning she was pregnant, Ruchama-Chaya said, "I dreamed of my parents becoming grandparents, of continuing the chain of generations. God willing, they'll even have great-grandchildren."

The family contacted Prof. Yagel and asked him if he would be the OB/GYN to care for mother and baby, and "he was over the moon," said Dudi. "It was full circle for him."

The pregnancy progressed without complication, and a few weeks ago, the newest member of the family was born.

"... I held Ruchama's baby in my arms — he was six times heavier than she was at birth," said Yagel.

The baby boy is named Chaim Mendel, after his grandfather, Dudi, who said about his grandson's arrival, "We cried for days from joy. Everyone celebrated with us. The phone didn't stop ringing. It felt like true healing, a full-circle moment, after the birth 24 years ago."

Why It Matters:

Stories like this show that every child is a gift and that when a woman faces a health complication during pregnancy, the answer is not to abort the baby. An emergency C-section or a preterm induction of labor is not an induced abortion, which carries the intent of killing the baby. Doctors should seek to treat and protect both mother and child.