Their mother made most of their clothes and usually dressed them alike, as shown in this photo taken at their elementary school in the Bronx, New York. Dorothy is on the left, slightly taller and bigger than Daisy, standing on the right.
The girls were told they were fraternal twins, but they sure looked a lot--a lot!--alike.
Fast-forward to my Mom's first-born children, me and my two-minutes-younger twin Sis. Sis weighed a few ounces more than I did at birth. For special occasions, we were often dressed the same but as we got older, we were free to choose whether to do this or not.
As children, we looked very much alike. Yet as long as I can remember, our parents said we were fraternal twins. This was probably because of two placentas; newer research shows even identicals can have two placentas.
Years after our parents passed away, Sis insisted we take DNA tests to prove her lifelong, strongly-held belief that we are actually identical.
DNA proved Sis correct: we are identical twins. We rarely dress alike these days, but sometimes wear the same dress or top but in different colors.
Did you know that identical twins are important to science? Researchers value the ability to observe and research similarities and differences in biology, medical conditions, behavioral elements, and more. In fact, Stanford University maintains a Twin Registry as part of its ongoing twin studies.
The annual Twins Days Festival in Ohio (this year, August 7-9) is not only an opportunity for twins and other multiples to mingle with other twins/multiples--it's also an opportunity for twins to voluntarily participate in on-site scientific research. Maybe Sis and I will get there one day.
