Dia Mirza and Vaibhav Rekhi announce the birth of their son

Avyaan Azaad Rekhi was born prematurely and is currently being cared for in a Neonatal ICU

Taking fans and the industry by surprise, Dia Mirza and Vaibhav Rekhi have announced the birth of their son, Avyaan Azaad Rekhi. In a deeply personal and emotional social media post, Dia shared that the little one was born on May 14 and is currently gaining strength in a Neonatal ICU.

Dia wrote, "To paraphrase Elizabeth Stone,

"To have a child is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."

These words perfectly exemplify Vaibhav & my feelings right now. Our heartbeat, our son Avyaan Azaad Rekhi was born on May 14th. Having arrived early, our little miracle has since then been cared for by tireless nurses and doctors in the Neonatal ICU.

A sudden appendectomy during my pregnancy and a subsequent and very severe bacterial infection could have led to sepsis and proven to be life threatening. Thankfully, the timely care and intervention by our doctor ensured the safe birth of our baby via an emergency C-section.

As we watch this tiny being, this Zen master in awe and wonder, we learn from him, in all humility, the true meaning of trusting the universe and of parenthood. And to not be afraid, and so we humbly take the lead from his resilience and courage. We do not have enough words to thank all those who continue to help us live this story of hope and faith and create a safe, healing, nurturing space for Avyaan and I. He will be home soon and his elder sister Samaira and grandparents are waiting to hold him in their arms.

To our well-wishers and fans, I just want to say - your concern has always meant a lot to me and if it was possible to share this news before, we would have. Thank you all for all the love, light, faith and prayers. We extend them back to everyone who is struggling to hold on to hope right now or is praying for a loved one.

The new parents have also requested the media to grant them privacy at this time so that they can give all their attention and energy to their baby.