Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test's Ravi Patel breaks down while recalling the loss of his baby girl days after birth

Ravi Patel recalls the loss of his daughter

While talking to the DS, Patel hesitated briefly before sharing that he and his wife had lost their daughter, who was only five days old, and that it was the “worst time” in his life.

Upon being questioned about how the ordeal had impacted his wife, he answered that it had been a terrible time for her, too. He also recalled how their eldest daughter couldn't come to terms with the loss.

Patel went through the challenging times with the hospital stay, and among other things, he mentioned that his daughter’s school was just across the street from the hospital where Saachi had been taken.

According to him, one of the reports they got talked about brain damage and the possibility of having to make a “hard choice.”

Next, he told the story of him going out to pick up his elder daughter from school so that they could be with Saachi, saying that they kept her company, wept and confronted the ordeal as a family.

Reflecting on the experience, Patel told the DS,

“It was hard. You don't really have a choice, man. I've seen people break and give up, but more often than not, people fight back.”

The Patels share their loss publicly

In an Instagram post, Patel shared the sad news of his daughter's death, Saachi. He wrote that on February 7, 2023, they were with her when she died.

To illustrate the heartbreaking event, he took some pictures of the family at the hospital and explained that she died after five days of birth due to meconium aspiration.

Meconium aspiration syndrome is a situation in which a baby breathes a mix of meconium and amniotic fluid into the lungs during delivery, says the Cleveland Clinic.

In the same post, Patel continued,

“She fought and we fought. Everyone is destroyed and seeking. When we are ready, we will fight again in her memory. Love you and with you forever, my beautiful Saachi girl.”

Mahaley Patel reflects on their family's grief

Patel’s wife, Mahaley, who co-authored the book Your NICU Story, has also discussed the lasting impact of their daughter’s death. In a recent Instagram post, she explained that the "ripple effects" of losing a child extend beyond the parents and affect the entire family system.

She shared that the loss "reshapes" their lives in both visible and unseen ways, noting that its impact does not end immediately after the child’s death but can surface unexpectedly in ordinary moments.

Mahaley also said that their daughter’s memory remains part of their everyday life. She mentioned that although those ripple effects can still take her breath away, they are reminders of how Saachi remains "woven" into each day of their lives.

“Saachi’s death was a tragedy, but her life is not. Her life is a reminder that this depth of grief can only exist because of deep love," she added.