Impossible!
His brow furrowed as he took in the two images in front of him. Then, he raced over to their medical charts to find their blood work. It didn’t make sense.
Briana and her sister watched with growing concern as the doctor's eyes widened further and further in disbelief. “How is this possible?”, he muttered. Suddenly, he looked at them with something resembling fear.
A Special Bond
Briana Deane and her twin sister Brittany had a special bond. They were closer than any other twins they knew. But when it came to their dating life, they preferred to keep their love interests quiet until they were sure it was serious.
This worked out great for the most part, but this time, Briana really wished she said something sooner.
Same But Different
The girls were unique women - with their own likes, personality quirks, and attitudes.
One big example was the fact that Brittney loved flying but Briana was terrified; which made vacations quite the challenge. However, their individuality didn’t spare them from the many problems that life made them suffer through together.
Hard Childhood
Brittney remembered one particularly scary hospital visit when they were very young.
All she knew was that both of them were in pain and could barely breathe, while their parents yelled at the doctors for not knowing what they were doing. After that, the twins developed a distrust of health professionals - and it was a distrust that would be tested sooner than they thought.
Full Of Secrets
Briana bumped into her future husband at a twins festival in Twinsburg, Ohio. His name was Josh Salyers, and he also had a twin, Jeremy. Brittany and Jeremy casually chatted as sparks flew between Briana and Josh.
Soon, they fell in love and it was time to tell Brittany that she finally found the one. But Brittany also had a secret of her own.
Better Than Planned
Briana watched her sister’s face transform into shock and awe as she told her all about Josh Salyers.
Her reaction didn’t make much sense until she returned the favor and told her that she had been dating his twin brother, Jeremy, where things had also gotten serious.
Under One Roof
The girls dreamed of a white wedding and of all four of them moving into the same house. They wanted to live together under one roof so that they would stay as close together as possible and remain in each other's lives.
But first, there was something they had to do. And soon, they’d find out that this wouldn’t be the fairytale they were hoping for.
Doctor Visit
They had to visit the doctor. All they wanted to do was talk to a mid-wife, but the entire family eventually pressured them into visiting a bland office that smelled of disinfectant.
Bad news had always filled places like these. When the doctor walked in, wearing a slight frown, their hearts started to race. Was it bad news?
Alarm Bells
Since Brianna and her sister were in their late thirties, they decided they wanted to get a fertility check. It was just a precaution, but when they told the doctor that they were dating identical twins too, they were shocked by what the doctor said.
Although they were fertile, the doctor warned them against starting a family with their unorthodox partners but Brittany and Briana wouldn’t listen.
Double Proposal
It wasn't long after that Josh and his twin, Jeremy, proposed simultaneously to Briana and Brittany. As in keeping with the way the two pairs of twins have lived their lives, they did absolutely everything together.
They got married together, bought a house to live in together. Everything seemed to be going great, but deep within the corners of Briana’s mind, all she could think of was the doctor’s stark warning.
Special Wedding
Brittney and her sister Briana had made headlines when they got engaged to another pair of identical twins.
The story went viral and TLC offered to pay for the entire wedding if they could film and air the event. It was a magical experience that was so different compared to the years leading up to this special day.
Whirlwind
Briana felt jitters and tears as she walked down the aisle and got married, with her best friend and twin sister right beside her. And the wonderful euphoria lasted all the way through the honeymoon.
Of course, it wasn’t long until they were both pregnant. The amazing news, however, was quickly countered with an unpleasant reality.
Something’s Wrong
Briana tried to ignore the feeling that something wasn’t quite right about all this. Perhaps the ideas about how they wanted to live their life were wrong.
She held her swollen tummy in her hands as she wished she stayed to listen to what the doctor had to say. What was so important that he’d discourage them from starting a family? Disaster was just around the corner.
Not Giving Up
Brittany was three months pregnant when she suffered a miscarriage. With Briana four weeks behind her, she feared that this same thing would happen to her. They had the same body after all.
After an anxious wait, it was as predicted. Briana followed in her sister’s footsteps and had a miscarriage at exactly the same timeframe. It was a devastating loss but it didn’t discourage them.
More Warnings
It was less than half a year by the time Briana and Brittany found themselves pregnant again. This time the pregnancies were smooth and their checkups with their doctor were more frequent.
But once again, they faced another warning. They listened as the doctor reinstated how rare this situation actually was, and how little they knew about the repercussions involved in such a medical anomaly.
Ignored Advice
The doctor sat across from their group and sighed. “Ladies, I thought I told you to come and talk to me before you decided to start a family.”
Briana felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up in anger. “No, you told our mother that.” He shook his head and pulled out a folder.
How Dare He
It was her and Brittany’s medical history. He went on to use words like testing, health, prenatal preparation, and a bunch of other medical jargon.
She tightened the grip on her husband’s hand. Who was he to say they shouldn’t have kids now?! She was about to tell him off, but the next piece of news was heartbreaking.
Passed On Problems
The doctor went on to explain that because of their past genetic problems and the pending tests on their husbands, there was a chance that both she and her sister’s baby could have the same defective genetic issues passed down to them.
In short, their kids could be as sick as the girls had been when they were babies.
Two Thoughts
“It’s obviously your body and your choice,” the doctor said, “I just wish you would have come here so we could have prepared better."
"Now, all we can do is watch closely and be careful.” Briana leaned into her husband and started to cry. Two thoughts crashed and fought around in her head.
New Odds
First, she hated everything to do with hospitals. But second, it was her job to make sure her family would be safe and healthy.
Babies might have been a grab bag of genetic materials, but their paring of identical twins created an entirely different set of odds. Then, the doctor looked at their scans.
Wild Discovery
His eyes popped as he took in the two images he held in his hands. Then, he raced over to their medical charts to find their blood work. It didn’t make sense.
Briana and her sister watched with growing concern as the doctor's eyes darted across their scans and test documents. What was he seeing?
Revelation
“Is everything okay?” Briana asked as she looked at her sister, who lay on the ultrasound table beside her. Then suddenly, the doctor’s mind stopped racing. His eyes widened in disbelief as he let out a big sigh. His hands fell to his side as he approached the twins.
What was wrong? Was this what he warned them about? But what he was about to say was far beyond anyone’s expectations, including his own.
Not Cousins!
The doctor grabbed a chair and sat next to the twins as he explained what the test results were now beginning to show. It was the unknown that he was most nervous about for them. But now, things were starting to become clear.
Although Briana’s and Brittany’s babies are from two different fathers and two different mothers, they are only respectively cousins. Which means...
Siblings
Genetically speaking, Briana and Brittany’s children, current or future - as long as they remain with their spouses - will always be full biological siblings to each other... even though they would have different parents.
“For an OB doc, this is like winning the lottery. It’s really that rare!” said their doctor. And for the couples, winning the lottery is exactly what this discovery felt like.
Keeping A Smile
Still, at that point, all they could do was go on bedrest together.
They smiled at their growing bellies, giggled at their identical cravings for pickles and Starburst candies, and held each other tight when something felt “wrong.”
It's Time
Eight months and two weeks later, Brianna was the first to go into labor.
And, in fine twin fashion, Brittney felt her water break only a few hours later. The worst part, however, was being separated. She gripped her husband’s arm and gave one final push. Cries filled the delivery room.
The Same Pain
Wave after wave of pain washed over Briana's body, but all she could do was ride it out.
Somewhere, she knew her sister was in the same agony. They had ignored all the warnings and strong advice. It was their lives and their choice. All they could do was pray for it to end and for them to find out the truth.
Good NEws
Despite the high risk, she cried with joy as she learned that both babies were perfectly healthy.
They had won the DNA lottery and wouldn’t have to suffer as they had. However, as they held their tiny infants, they both agreed that they would check with a doctor before having another.
Viral News
Briana and Brittany, as well as their husbands, were thrilled to know that their children were going to be siblings, especially as they’ll be growing up in a house with four parents anyway!
But not everyone was as happy as the twins once they found out about their unique story. Reporters and journalists raced to interview them, which they accepted. But the news spread fast, and so did conflicting opinions.
Unique Situation
TLC realized what a unique situation the Deane sisters' wedding was and aired the entire documentary of the twins' wedding ceremony, titled "Our Twinsane Wedding". Their wedding's theme was "Twice Upon a Time," and the identical twin couples were even married by identical twin ministers.
And, with the recent announcement of the new arrivals in the Salyer family, the quartet has become more famous than ever.
What Are The Odds?
It doesn’t happen very often that an identical twin would find and marry another identical twin. So it's no surprise that the story of the Deane sisters and Salyer brothers piqued the interest of many netizens and TV viewers.
Many people were incredibly intrigued by the entire story, and it attracted a lot of attention from the media. While most of the attention was positive, some people had other opinions.
The Good Life
Some people disagreed with Briana and Brittany’s extremely close married relationship and lifestyle choices. They found it too odd and strange that the grown-up couples lived together, under one roof, and were intent on raising their families together, too.
But to Briana and Brittany, it just made sense... for more reasons than one.
It works For Them
Briana and Brittany just happen to work in the same law firm, and Jeremy and Josh also work together. So, it’s easy for them to commute to work together.
Both pairs of twins are inseparable and couldn't imagine spending time apart from their twins, so it also saved on fuel having to go back and forth from each other’s homes. Admittedly, it’s an extremely unusual set-up, but it seems to work for them.
Always One Question
For Briana and her sister, as well as their husbands, life couldn’t get much better. Even though there were always haters coming out of the woodwork to express their negative opinions on their lifestyle choices, they didn’t let negative opinions get to them!
Although Briana and Brittany are very open about their choices, one question never fails to arise...
Do They Ever Get Confused?
Whenever the girls do interviews, people never fail to ask them if the couples have ever been mixed up or kissed the wrong twin.
But the girls are quick to set things straight: this has never occurred. In fact, Brittany has even gone on to say that it’s weird for people to even think about such things.
All Planned
Brittany and Brianna are keen to help raise their children as a multi-parent unit, but that’s not all. They actually planned to both get pregnant at the same time, which takes a great deal of planning and quite a bit of luck.
"If Brittany were pregnant, I'd rather be pregnant too," Briana explained. “Being pregnant at different times would be difficult, especially with the physical changes that are taking place.”
Even More Similarities
Briana and Brittany are incredibly aware of the unique lifestyle they have chosen to share and of outsiders' perceptions. Even before they met their future husbands, they wanted to devote a blog to photos of themselves dressing and living in an identical way.
But there’s yet another thing that makes Jeremy and Josh similar to Brittany and Brianna.
Soulmates
If it’s even possible to find more symmetry, Briana was first-born in her twinhood, the same as Jeremy, while both Brittany and Josh came out second. True soulmates, alike in everything!
Down to the last detail, these two pairs were meant to be. After the birth of their babies, the quartet was elated! They couldn’t have planned it better.
Destiny
It seems like the two pairs of twins were destined for each other from the moment they were born.
Perhaps this is why Brittany gravitated to Jeremy and Brianna to Josh - it's as if they instinctively knew which twin felt most like them. If you read it in a book, you’d think it was too perfect, but it’s true!
Stars Aligning
"The stars had to align. I get to marry the man of my dreams and at the same time I get to look over next to me and see my twin sister marrying the man of her dreams," Brittany said in an interview.
The odds of something like this even happening are pretty astounding. And, for the Salyer couples, all of their childhood dreams came true!