WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam and Wife Welcome Twin Daughters After Scary Pregnancy Journey
Professional wrestling legend Rob Van Dam and his wife, independent wrestler Katie Forbes, are celebrating an emotional and hard-won milestone in their lives. The couple has welcomed twin daughters, Karma Star Szatkowski and Saba Zen Szatkowski, following a pregnancy fraught with medical complications that required extensive hospitalization.
Premature Birth and NICU Stay
The twins were born via emergency C-section on December 26, arriving approximately two and a half months earlier than their due date. Both infants required immediate specialized care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) due to their premature birth.
Karma Star weighed 3 pounds 14 ounces and measured 17.3 inches at birth, while her sister Saba Zen weighed 4 pounds 8.6 ounces and measured 18 inches. The couple first shared their story in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE magazine, detailing the harrowing weeks leading up to the delivery.
Medical Emergency and Hospitalization
Katie Forbes revealed that the final trimester of her pregnancy became critically challenging when she developed severe preeclampsia in early December. What initially presented as flu-like symptoms rapidly escalated into a life-threatening condition.
"I ended up being admitted to labor and delivery with preeclampsia," Forbes told PEOPLE. "My blood pressure was dangerously high, and one of the twins was showing signs of stress. What I thought would be a quick visit turned into a four-week hospital stay while they closely monitored me and the girls, trying to keep them in as long as possible since they were still two and a half months early."
Doctors maintained Forbes under close observation for weeks, attempting to prolong the pregnancy to give the twins additional development time before delivery became medically necessary.
Birth and Immediate Complications
The delivery on December 26 created unforgettable moments for the new parents. "Karma came out first and the room yelled 'Happy Birthday!' I started crying happy tears," Forbes recalled. "Then, Saba arrived just three minutes later. It was the most special moment of my life."
However, the celebration was tempered by immediate health concerns for Saba. Medical staff suspected she might be experiencing seizures, prompting her transfer via ambulance to another hospital's NICU for comprehensive testing.
"Saba had a harder time as they were worried about seizures," Forbes explained. "She was immediately taken by ambulance to another NICU. Thankfully, all her tests came back clear, and four days later, she was transferred back so I could finally meet her, and so she could be back with her sister."
NICU Journey and Family Reunion
The twins' NICU stays extended for several weeks, with Karma remaining for five weeks and Saba for seven weeks. Throughout this period, Van Dam and Forbes visited their daughters daily, providing comfort through holding and feeding sessions whenever permitted.
The couple described leaving the hospital each evening as emotionally draining, though they expressed complete confidence in the medical team overseeing their babies' care.
A particularly poignant moment occurred when Saba was reunited with her twin sister on December 31—which coincidentally marked Forbes' birthday. "That reunion happened on my birthday, December 31, which made it even more special," she shared.
Homecoming and Family Joy
After weeks of uncertainty and medical vigilance, both twins have now been discharged and are thriving at home. The couple announced, "After a long journey in the NICU, our sweet Saba is finally home after seven weeks, reunited with her twin sister Karma, who spent five weeks there herself. Both babies are healthy, thriving, and so deeply loved. Our family is finally back together, and we are absolutely over the moon and soaking in every precious moment."
Rob Van Dam, inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021, and Katie Forbes, who has competed on the independent wrestling circuit, now embark on their most important roles yet as parents to their newborn daughters.
