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Episode 163: Death is a Tragedy, but Their Daughter’s Life Was Not

October 21, 2026

Guest: Mahaley & Ravi Patel

Bereaved NICU Parents

Content warning: death and dying

Death is tragic, but Saachi’s life was not. Bereaved NICU parents Mahaley and Ravi Patel candidly share about their daughter’s complication at birth – meconium aspiration – her death, their grief and how it all reshaped the life they once knew. Their jobs as author and marriage and family therapist (Mahaley), actor and entrepreneur (Ravi), color a partial picture of their lives, but it was Saachi’s entrance into the world, their other children, their marriage and their commitment to transparency that will be a balm to every bereaved parents’ heart.

In this episode, we chat about:

Mahaley and Ravi Patel share the story of their daughter, Saachi, from pregnancy and birth complications to her five days in the NICU.
How they navigated the early days of grief following Saachi’s death and how their experience of grief has evolved over time.
The challenges of supporting their older child through loss while navigating grief as a couple.
How Saachi’s life inspired Mahaley to write Your NICU Story and shaped their family’s perspective on love, loss, and gratitude.
Words of encouragement and understanding for bereaved NICU parents learning to carry both love and grief.

Connect with Mahaley & Ravi Patel

Instagram (Mahaley) | Instagram (Ravi) | Website | Book

About the guest

Mahaley is a licensed marriage and family therapist, certified in perinatal mental health, and trained in EMDR. As a bereaved parent, and a mother by birth and surrogacy, she is no stranger to the complex emotions that one may experience as they navigate their journey to and through parenthood. Mahaley earned her masters from Pepperdine University. She began her journey working in the perinatal space as a postpartum doula before she transitioned to becoming a therapist. In 2023, she and her husband, Ravi, lost their middle daughter, Saachi (SAH-chee), due to meconium aspiration when she was just five days old.

Emmy-nominated Ravi is most well-known for co-directing and starring in Meet the Patels, a festival darling that became one of the most streamed documentaries of the last ten years, which led to an offer to adapt it into a feature film with Fox Searchlight Pictures. As an actor, Ravi recently completed filming The Off Weeks for Apple with Ben Stiller, Jessica Chastain, and Richard Gere, as well as the fifth season of the Fox series Animal Control (from the creators of Wedding Crashers), for which Ravi is a lead alongside Joel McHale. He is known for his roles in Master of None, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Scrubs, Grey’s Anatomy, Children’s Hospital and Transformers. Formerly an investment banker and cofounder of a poker company, Ravi most recently co-founded This Saves Lives alongside actors Todd Grinnell, Kristen Bell, and Ryan Devlin. Acquired by Good/Upworthy, the company donates a meal packet for every snack they sell. Ravi’s hobbies include sports and reading fiction, psychology, and wellness. He and his wife, Mahaley have four children and have been married 14 years.