It, indeed, is a special phase for actress Lisa Ray as she embraced motherhood with her twin daughters, who were born via surrogacy in June in Georgia. Lisa announced the news with a delightful picture of herself and her daughters Sufi and Soleil on social media.

In the meantime, Lisa also spoke to a leading daily and revealed that she had initially decided to pursue surrogacy in India but considering the fact that it was outlawed in the country, she was compelled to shift to Georgia to welcome her twins.

“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,” Lisa told the daily.

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In 2009, Lisa was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the white blood cells known as plasma cells which produce antibodies. She announced that she was cancer-free a year later, after a stem cell transplant. As multiple myeloma is incurable, she is not completely cured of the disease though.

However, after recovering from multiple myeloma, giving birth to children, Lisa said during her interview with the daily, would have been difficult. Technological advancements, nevertheless, reduced the obstacles to a great extent.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn0SULWBWdu/?hl=en&taken-by=lisaraniray

“Having diagnosed with multiple myeloma 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,” she added.

Despite enduring the wrath of a difficult period, Lisa desired to narrate her story to the world to bust the myth 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 children,” she said.

Lisa is best known for her work in the Bollywood film Kasoor and Telugu film Takkari Donga. She is married to Jason Dehni since 2012.