Former 'Real World' stars Rachel Campos-Duffy and Sean Duffy welcome their 9th child, say she suffers from a heart condition and Down syndrome
Former 'Real World' stars Rachel Campos-Duffy and Sean Duffy are on cloud nine after they welcomed their ninth child on October 1. Rachel took to Facebook to announce that they had named her Valentina Stella Maris Duffy!. Rachel noted that Valentina was born a month before her due date but despite this was in a better condition now. "She is doing great, though still in the NICU until she learns to eat on her own", she noted. Rachel further added that her other children are extremely happy to have a new member of the family.
"When we visit with her at the hospital, the kids fight over who can hold her - I don’t blame them! She’s the sweetest, most perfect angel we have ever seen", she wrote. However, Rachel went on to reveal that Valentina suffered from a heart condition and was also diagnosed with Down syndrome after birth.
"Valentina was born with a heart defect (2 holes in the heart and valves that need to be fixed). She will need surgery in 3-4 months. As we suspected, Valentina was also born with an extra chromosome, which means she also has Down syndrome", she noted.
However, this was not letting Rachel down as she wrote, "That extra chromosome certainly made her EXTRA cute. Life is wonderful!!" Rachel further revealed that she had Valentina through C-Section and praised all the moms who went through the same. "I’m home now, trying to recover from my first C-section (hats off to all the c-section moms out there - I had no idea!) and working hard with my breast pump to keep up with her growing appetite", she wrote.
Fans were quick to floor her comment sections with positive messages and with many noting how cute Valentina looked. "Congrats! She is so beautiful. Glad she was born into a family like yours giving her a chance at a beautiful life. My prayers to you all as she faces her upcoming surgeries in a few months", commented one user.
Another added, "Rachael, she is a beautiful baby. God has indeed blessed your family. I admire you and your husband for always putting God first. Blessings to all of you." Some even shared their story as one commented, "Congratulations!! Welcome to the Lucky Few club! Our Sam, who is 2.5, was a birth diagnosis of Down syndrome and has certainly enhanced our life. I pray that her heart is healed and she continues eating well!"
