Last year, our incredible team raised more than $20,000 for Red Nose Australia under the name “Austin’s Guardian Angel.” The support we received was overwhelming, and because of that, we’ve decided to do it all again this year.

This year, our team is proudly called “Teddy’s Tribe,” and I am incredibly honoured that we are also Red Nose Australia ambassadors.

I am doing this in memory of all babies gone too soon, but most importantly, in loving memory of my beautiful son, Teddy Charles Tlais, who was born sleeping on 15 September 2024.

For those who don’t know our story, in early 2024, after years of infertility, my wife Rebecca and I received the news we had dreamed of for so long—we were expecting identical twin boys. We were absolutely overjoyed.

Our happiness was soon met with challenge after challenge. In the first trimester, a large blood clot developed alongside the boys’ sacs, threatening the pregnancy. Watching Rebecca go through bed rest and restricted duties while we waited and hoped was incredibly difficult, but we held onto the belief that our boys would be okay.

We finally began to breathe again in the second trimester, only to have our world turned upside down at our 16-week scan. Our boys were diagnosed with Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS)—a life-threatening condition that, without treatment, would claim both of their lives. From that moment on, every decision we made was about giving our sons the best possible chance to survive.

At 17 weeks, Rebecca underwent our first fetoscopic laser surgery. Sadly, it was unsuccessful, and during the procedure Austin’s sac ruptured, causing PPROM (Preterm Prelabour Rupture of Membranes) and placing all of them at an even greater risk. Rebecca returned to strict bed rest, and we were warned that sepsis or very premature labour could happen at any time.

Despite everything, our boys kept fighting.

By 20 weeks, we were told there was nothing more that could be done in Sydney. The surgery hadn’t stopped the progression of TTTS, and both boys had become critically unwell. Refusing to give up, we travelled to Brisbane as a last hope, where another specialist team agreed to take on our case.

After weeks of close monitoring, neither Teddy nor Austin was improving. At 22 weeks, Rebecca underwent a second fetoscopic laser surgery. We were told there was every chance we could lose both boys during the procedure, but we had no other option. Teddy had developed severe Fetal Growth Restriction (FGR) and had fallen below the first percentile, while Austin had spent almost three months suffering heart failure and hydrops because of the ongoing TTTS. Delivering them early wasn’t an option—they were simply too sick.

Following the second surgery, Rebecca was once again placed on strict bed rest. She even had to rely on a wheelchair whenever she needed to leave the house because walking more than a few steps wasn’t safe for her or our boys.

One week later, we went to what we hoped would be another routine scan, believing things might finally be improving.

Instead, our lives changed forever.

On 24 June 2024, at 23½ weeks pregnant, we were told that Teddy no longer had a heartbeat.

There are no words that can truly describe that moment. Hearing those words shattered me in a way I never knew was possible. It’s a moment that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

At that same scan, we also learnt something we never expected—Austin was beginning to improve. Teddy’s passing stopped the TTTS, the condition that had been destroying Austin’s little body. As heartbreaking as it is, I truly believe Teddy gave his life to save his brother. That’s why I will always think of Teddy as Austin’s guardian angel. ❤️

Against all odds, Rebecca carried both of our boys for another three months. It felt like a miracle, especially after everything she and our boys had endured.

At 36½ weeks, Rebecca’s waters broke, and on 15 September 2024, our beautiful sons were born. It was both the happiest and the most heartbreaking day of my life.

Since that day, life has been filled with joy and unimaginable grief existing side by side. Every milestone Austin reaches is one I’ll always wonder about for Teddy too. Every birthday, every Christmas, every special moment reminds me that someone is missing.

I’ve learnt that losing a child is a grief that never leaves you. It changes who you are forever. There isn’t a single day that goes by that I don’t think about Teddy or wish he was here growing up alongside his twin brother.

While I can’t change our story or bring my beautiful boy back, I can make sure his life continues to make a difference.

That’s why I’m fundraising for Red Nose Australia.

The support Red Nose provides to bereaved families is invaluable, and I hope that by sharing Teddy’s story, we can help ensure other families receive the same compassion and support during the darkest time of their lives.

If you’re able to, I would be so incredibly grateful if you could donate to our fundraiser or simply share our page with your family and friends.

Every donation, no matter how small, helps honour Teddy’s memory and supports families who find themselves walking a path no parent should ever have to.

Thank you for standing beside us, believing in our cause, and helping keep Teddy’s memory alive.