not believe that these twin saw the shape twenty years later

not believe that these twin saw the shape twenty years later

Twenty years ago, when given the news she was having twin girls, a pregnant Donna Aylmer wept. While many parents do this when learning the news they are having more than the one baby they expected, Aylmer had even more of a surprise in store for her. When her twin girls were born in Gloucester, England a few months later, they looked nothing alike.

Most twins that are not identical still share enough resemblance to at least look like twins, or at the very least, siblings. However, this was not true of Aylmer’s twins, Lucy and Maria. When the two girls were born, Lucy came out with red hair, blue eyes, and very light skin with freckles. On the other hand, Maria donned brown skin and eyes and had dark, curly hair.

The interesting twins, which many cannot even identify as sisters when looking at them, resulted from a combination of parental genetics. Donna Aylmer is biracial herself, being half black and half white. Aylmer’s husband, however, is white. When the twins were born, their parents were stunned by their contrasting complexions. Furthermore, as the girls continued to grow up, turning eighteen in 2015, they continued to look less and less alike.

According to The Daily Mail, “People with Afro-Caribbean heritage often have some European DNA, dating back in many cases to the slave trade. This increases the chance of them passing on a gene for white skin to at least one twin.”

While the sisters are extremely close and say they are best friends, most people who know them have a hard time believing the fact that they are related since their appearances are so different. Lucy Aylmer stated about her and her sister, “No one ever believes we are twins. Even when we dress alike, we still don’t look like sisters, let alone twins. Friends have even made us produce our birth certificates to prove it. … We couldn’t look more different if we tried. We don’t look like we have the same parents, let alone having been born at the same time.”

Furthermore, each twin admits hating something about her looks. Lucy commented about going to school with her sister, “They thought I was adopted and called me a ghost.” Lucy admits she was bullied in school as a result of this, but her sister was envious of her appearance regardless. Maria loves Lucy’s hair, and commented, “I used to cry about it. I hate my curly hair.”

The sisters also have three older siblings. Lucy said about them, “Our brothers and sisters have skin which is in between Maria and I. We are at opposite ends of the spectrum, and they are all somewhere in between.”

Besides their very different appearances, the two sisters also have opposing personalities. Maria is more social, while Lucy is far quieter, and the two feel they balance each other out well. At this point in their lives, the two twins have accepted who they both are, and are quite fond of each other. “If I have kids one day, they might come out looking like Lucy,” Maria said