I cuddled, slept next to, and read to my dead newborn son — his twin lived, and their death and birth were reported on the same day

Kal Osahan’s eyes opened and he smiled as the nurse handed him one of her newborn twin boys.

Roop was 13 days old at the time, and it was the first time his mother had held him. He died a few moments later.

In September 2015, when Kal was 26 weeks pregnant, Roop and his twin brother Guraj were born 14 weeks prematurely.

Cristiano Ronaldo and his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez, 28, revealed the loss of one of their infants last week, bringing back memories of her grief.

The Manchester United striker, 37, expressed his sorrow on Instagram, writing: “It is the deepest anguish that any parent can endure.”

“Only our baby girl’s birth has given us the strength to live this time with hope and happiness.”

Kal, 41, a wedding stationer, lives in Witham, Essex, with her husband Bharminder, 42, an aviation expert, daughter Ria, 10, son Guraj, now six.

She claims that the agony of losing Roop will never go away, but that his brother gave her the courage to keep going.

“After Roop’s life support was turned off, the doctors brought him to us,” she says.

“He opened his eyes and gave us a glimpse of a smile for a split second.”

“That nagging anguish you have deep down inside that never goes away.”

“But I believe it would have been far worse if I hadn’t had his brother Guraj on my side.

“I had a cause to live, a reason to be brave, and a reason to persevere.” I felt a surge of strength rush over me when he died. I kept going.

“It’s especially difficult around his birthdays and the anniversary of his death.”

“You ponder what may have been. Would the lads have gotten along?

“You are more appreciative of one’s accomplishments, but you are also more aware of one’s losses.” I’m sure Ronaldo will follow suit shortly.

“I always want to make Guraj’s birthday memorable, but I also have to give myself permission to weep as much as I want.”

Twin pregnancies, on average, have a poorer outcome than single-baby pregnancies.

According to a study published last year, twins have a 3.5 times higher chance of dying in the first 28 days after delivery and are twice as likely to be stillborn.

Twins are also more likely to be born prematurely, and their pregnancies are more likely to be complicated.

“It was the worst thing that could have happened to me.”

When NADIA LEAKE went into labour in 2012, she was just 22 weeks and 6 days pregnant.

She was registering infant Harrison’s birth three weeks later, as well as the death of his twin brother Raif, who was born with a hole in his heart.

Nadia, a medical representative, and her husband Martin, 47, split up when he died at three weeks old.

“We were only a few minutes from Barnet Hospital. I was fully dilated. “It was so early and I was trying not to panic but thought, ‘This can’t be happening’.

“The idea that the kids would be born to die was difficult to swallow because I could feel them kicking.”

They were resuscitated and then transported to the larger Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in West London when they arrived on August 12, 2012, weighing 1.1lb apiece.

“We got to know them for a few weeks,” Nadia explains. “It was fantastic.” Harrison was brazen and sassy.

“Medics would be chased away by him. Raif appeared to be at ease.”

Raif, however, died unexpectedly on September 7, 2012.

“I passed out when I found out,” Nadia says. “It was the worst thing that had ever happened to me, but I had another little baby to look after who was also unwell.”

“I’d like families who have lost a child to know that Raif’s presence, even if it was only for a little while, was a godsend.”

“I adore Raif as much as my living children,” Nadia, who has a five-year-old son with Martin, adds. The two sides of the same coin are love and sadness.

“Harrison has no recollection of his brother, but he has photos of him in his room, and both he and Mason know all there is to know about him.”

“Every day, I’ll mention Raif’s name.” Every year, we have a special ‘Raif Day,’ and he has a particular seat at the table on Christmas Day.

“However, we’ve always made it clear that Harrison’s birthday is all about him.

“We need him to understand that he is a person in his own right, and we need him to understand that.”