Believe It Or Not, These Two Women Are Twins
Twins account for about one in 100 births around the world. Of that number, many are fraternal twins, which are born from two different eggs. But even if fraternal twins can inherit different genes, they usually still look quite similar to each other. This can't be said of bi-racial twins Lucy and Maria Aylmer. No one believes that these women are twins, but they and others like them are here to show you that while it's rare, it's possible!
This Woman Gave Birth To Both Of These Little Girls On The Same Day
Donna Douglas of Gloucester, England was shocked when she found out she was having twins in 1996. At the time, Douglas and her then-husband Vince Aylmer were already a family of five, with two boys and one girl.
Their sons were five and three years old, while their daughter was four. It can be pretty tough raising three young kids who are only a year apart. You can imagine that the stakes felt high for Donna and Vince, but having raised three babies already might have made having twins seem less daunting.
They Were Shocked To See The Twins For The First Time
Despite everything they did to prepare for the twins' arrival, Donna and Vince were in for something completely unexpected. On January 16, 1997, Donna gave birth to two beautiful, healthy baby girls, but she was speechless when she held them for the first time.
The midwife handed Donna two babies who hardly looked like each other. One of the babies had a very fair complexion, while the other had a darker complexion. It was confusing, especially since Donna was certain she had just given birth to one baby after the other. But it was as if she was given two babies from two different families.
As The Twins Grew Up, They Started To Look Different
After leaving the hospital, the twins' physical differences became more apparent. Everyone might have thought that the newborns would eventually start to look like each other, but the differences were too striking.
Lucy's fair complexion gave way to red hair and crystal-clear blue eyes. On the other hand, Maria's caramel skin tone was complemented with sparkling brown eyes and thick, curly brown hair. "It was such a shock for her because things like skin color don't show up on scans before birth. So she had no idea that we were so different." Lucy told Daily Mail.
The Girls Looked Very Different From The Rest Of The Family
Donna dressed Lucy and Maria in matching outfits when they were children, as any parents of twins would be inclined to do. But the outfits did little to convince others that the girls were twins.
People refused to believe that Lucy and Maria were twins, let alone sisters or even cousins. They looked too unique from each other and the rest of their siblings, whose skin tones are lighter than Maria's but darker than Lucy's. "Me and Maria are like opposite ends of the spectrum, but their skin tones are like, similar to each other," Lucy said on Good Morning Britain.
The Twins Didn't See The Use In Wearing Matching Clothes
Maria and Lucy may have grown up as twins, but they never really felt like twins. By the time they were seven years old, however, they told their mother that they no longer wanted to dress alike.
"We don't look alike, so why should we have to wear the exact same thing?" Lucy said on Inside Edition. After Donna started letting Lucy and Maria dress differently, they probably started gaining a sense of who they were as individuals. After all, at ten years old children begin to cultivate their own styles and interests if it's something they care about.
Maria and Lucy Are One In A Million
Maria and Lucy's differing looks can be partly explained by their heritage. While their father Vince is fully Caucasian, their mother Donna is half-Jamaican and half-white.
Lucy and Maria are fraternal twins, which means that they came from two separate eggs and inherited different genes. Since Donna is half-Jamaican, she carries genes for white and black skin. Still, having twins with two different skin tones is rare. Maria and Lucy's genetic makeup could have gone any number of ways, but to end up on "different ends of the spectrum" was one in a million.
It Wasn't Always Easy For Them Growing Up
Growing up, Lucy and Maria didn't share many of the same experiences other twins did. They obviously couldn't get away with pretending to be each other, and they often faced serious criticism from their peers.
Lucy, who looked the most different from the rest of her family, was often made fun of in school. "[Other kids] thought I was adopted... called me a ghost," Lucy told Inside Edition. The girls even had friends who forced them to show their birth certificates to prove they weren't lying about being twins.
Maria And Lucy Have Completely Different Personalities
"We're completely different," the girls both told Inside Edition. You'd think that even though they look different, the twins would at least share personality traits. But that's actually not the case. The twins have told the media that they prefer to be different from each other.
Since they've stopped dressing in matching clothes, the difference between the Aylmer twins became more apparent. This was especially obvious as they entered adulthood. Lucy wears her red hair completely straight and prefers casual, edgy clothing. Maria likes to dress in more girly ensembles.
Maria Is More Outgoing While Lucy Is The Shy One
"When we were little, she was always the shy one. I was always the loud one," Maria said of Lucy on Good Morning Britain. "And then, as we got older she did get more confident but she is still quite shy. But I've always been the one that just like, takes charge."
The twins say that Lucy is definitely the introverted one, while Maria is more outgoing. Their personalities have been polar opposites since they were children, which is not out of the question for twins. But for Lucy and Maria to look different and have contrasting personalities, it's as if they aren't even related.
Their Contrasting Personalities Set Them On Different Paths
"I love meeting people; like I'm not scared to approach people or anything," Maria told Inside Edition. "Whereas I am. I'm terrified of like, going up to random strangers," Lucy added.
Lucy and Maria's contrasting personalities have certainly set them on two different paths later in life. Lucy chose to study art and design at Gloucester College. Maria left the nest to study law at Cheltenham College, which is about a half an hour away. "Maria loves telling people at college that she has a white twin - and I'm very proud of having a black twin," Lucy told Daily Mail.
The Twins Grew Close By Embracing Their Differences
Maria and Lucy have admitted that growing up, they weren't too close. If anything, they sometimes felt like they were worlds apart, always wishing for something the other had.
Maria told Inside Edition that she would cry because she wished her hair was straight like both of her sisters. Lucy probably went through emotional turmoil when peers ostracized her from her own family. Their differences might have taken a toll on them as sisters, but the twins say that as they've grown older they've said they grew close. They've learned to embrace their differences and now, they're even best friends.
The Twins Can Feel When The Other Is In Pain
People who are twins often report feeling a sixth sense between themselves. When something is wrong with one twin, the other can sense it as if they were psychic. But this isn't the case for Lucy and Maria, who say they don't experience anything like that.
"We've had the odd couple of moments of like, we get the same pains, and she's like 'Oh that's weird, I have that pain too,'" Maria said on Good Morning Britain. They may not share the same thoughts, but maybe there's something to be said of the fact that they can literally feel each other's pain.
There Are Subtle Similarities Between Them
If you look past their obvious differences, you start some similarities between Maria and Lucy. If you look real close, they have a similar facial structure. But apart from the differing hair, eyes, and skin, Lucy and Maria are still twins at the end of the day.
They may not even have similar personality traits, but they still shared the same womb for nine months. Even though they weren't close growing up because of their differences, they still became the best of friends as adults. The Aylmer twins will always have each others' back.
As Twins, They Are Always There For Each Other
Even though Maria and Lucy don't feel like most twins do because of their differences, they still can't deny the special connection they share as sisters.
"I honestly don't know what I'd do or how I would've coped if I didn't have my twin, she's one of the main things keeping me going and keeping me here... She's been there for me through out everything... I couldn't ask for a more caring and beautiful twin sister," Lucy writes of Maria on her Instagram account.
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