Actress Brittany Daniel is now a Mom Thanks to Twin Sister Cynthia
Brittany, who starred with Cynthia in Sweet Valley, and her husband husband Adam Touni welcomed their daugther Hope thanks to an egg donated by Cynthia for surrogacy
Actress Brittany Daniel, known for starring alongside twin sister Cynthia in the ’90s show Sweet Valley High has become a mom via surrogacy. Brittany and her husband, broker associate Adam Touni welcomed daughter Hope last October.
But the road to becoming a mother was challenging for the 45-year-old actress. Brittany was diagnosed with V non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma back in 2011 and underwent chemotherapy. She also went through several IVF attempts using her sister Cynthia’s egg but failed. Brittany and Adam then made the decision to get pregnant via surrogacy.
In their interview with People, the sisters talk about the process, Cynthia’s decision to help her sister, and welcoming Hope.
Brittany Daniel on the decision to have a child and seeking her twin’s help
Brittany said shared that she thought that between her and her twin, she would be the first to get married.
“I always thought I’d be the first to get married and start a family,” she told People. ” But I was serious about my career, and I was having a good time.”
She said that she worked with doctors to initially retrieve eggs from her body for IVF but found out that the eggs depleted after her battle with cancer. It was her doctor who gave the idea of harvesting eggs from her sister.
“He’s like, ‘What are we doing here? You can’t get any closer. You guys have the exact same DNA. Why don’t we ask your sister to see if she’d be open to sharing her eggs with you?’,” Brittany said.
“I reached out to Cynthia. She knew about the process I was going through and trying to retrieve eggs, and I brought it up to her and asked her if she would be open to sharing her eggs with me.”
Cynthia Daniel on helping Brittany in her journey
Cynthia, who is a mother of 3 and a photographer said that she was unsure in the beginning how she can help her sister because, at that time, there were in their late ’30s.
It just kind of stopped me in my tracks, because I was like, this is why my sister and I were brought together,” Cynthia said. “Not only just to support each other and love on each other… I know she would’ve done the same thing for me.”
Cynthia eventually gave some of her eggs to Brittany, who made the decision with Adam to get pregnant via surrogacy after several IVF failures.
Brittany and Cynthia Daniel on welcoming Hope
Brittany admitted to crying after Hope arrived and all of those who helped her also cried.
“Everybody started crying: all the nurses, the doctors because they knew what I had been through and just the pure joy that she was in our arms,” she said.
Brittany and Adam were present when the surrogate mom gave birth to their daughter, saying they were “in awe” of her.
Cynthia on the other hand was unsure about her feelings regarding Hope. She eventually said that it was an aunt’s love that she felt. She even documented the first time she met her niece.
“One of the brightest moments of my life. Meeting my niece for the first time last week took my breath away. We love you Hope Rose Touni!”
Forever Sisters
Surrogacy may still be taboo in society but the story of sisters Brittany and Cynthia Daniel shows that one can lean on each other when it comes to family and making one’s dream come true.
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Raising Two: Moms and Their Love for their Twins
