Ecuadorian Twins Reunited After 15 Years

Mother Says She Never Knew She Birthed Twins; Lawsuit Claims Doctors Raised One As Their Own

(AP)  A chance meeting has reunited identical twin sisters who were separated at birth nearly 15 years ago — and touched off a legal dispute over how two doctors adopted one of the girls.

Petita Penaherrera says she did not know she had twins until she and her daughter Andrea came face-to-face with Marielisa Romo four months ago in the southern Ecuadorean town of Milagros — meaning "miracles" in English.

Andrea and Marielisa shared the same dark eyes, the same hair, the same ... everything.

Marielisa was accompanied by Roberto Romo and Isabel Garcia, the doctor couple who had delivered the twin babies — and then raised one.

Investigations began and, in June, Penaherrera and her husband Augusto Freire filed a suit against the doctors saying they never mentioned Andrea's twin.

"We never found out about the existence of that girl," Freire said Thursday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "After seeing a girl in the restaurant who was exactly like mine I almost fainted."

He recalled the ensuing conversation: "We asked 'Who's her father?' And the father is Dr. Romo, who was the doctor who performed the Caesarean on my wife."

Romo and Garcia could not be reached for comment but told Ecuavisa television that the biological mother knew about the twins but only wanted to keep one of them.

"The nurse said out loud, 'Congratulations you have two girls"' Garcia told Ecuavisa. "The woman, like every adolescent who is not ready for motherhood, just cried and cried."

"I gave it appropriate time to see if the mother would show up or would feel touched," Romo said. But the couple said there was no written agreement.

Penaherrera insists that she was never told. "They stole her from me, the doctors stole my daughter," she said in an interview with Ecuavisa.

Meanwhile, Penaherrera and Freire are trying to unite the twin girls.

"One day I hope to live with my two daughters," Freire told the AP. "God makes children's hearts return to their parents."

But Marielisa has said she does not want to leave the only parents she knows.

"They have raised me well, they have respected me and helped me," she said in an interview with the Guayaquil newspaper El Universo.

"If they love me so much," the girl said of her biological parents, "let them stop (the lawsuit) and tell me that they won't do anything against the doctors."

[jetlizhan]

i don't know who's right and who's wrong in this case - the adults certainly messed up these girls lives. i'm just thankful they have met each other before anymore time goes by and hopefully, they will stay in each others lives.

[amriss]

You're kidding, TrueProgress, with your "any woman carrying twins knows it," right?

If every woman carrying twins knew it, we wouldn't need ultrasounds and due dates. In a poor country, in particular, it would just be assumed she had been off on the date of her last period (heck, even in the USA, if the baby is early- or late, half the time the doctor claims you are wrong on your dates).

Twins at full term are usually smaller than single babies. There's no reason, without long term prenatal care, that she would have necessarily known she was pregnant with twins, or even that the birth was early.

[amriss]

IF, and it's a big IF, the mother is lying, which is unlikely because the pain of losing a child would have shown up before 15 years, then the doctors are still at fault for not ensuring legal paperwork was done.

To simply walk away and allow them to get away with it would send the message that you can steal someone's CHILD and nothing will be done.

How would you feel if someone stole YOUR child and then people got in line to tell you, "Oh, just ignore it, the kid's happy. ***, stop acting like someone STOLE YOUR BABY for Christ's sake."

[trueprogress]

River123: You make a very cogent argument, and if I were giving out grades today (A to F ) you would get an A. Yes River you are rodalty correct !
We do not know what pressures, family, historical, immediate, health, and economic , social did to influence the actions of the delivering health provider and the mother. That there was a connection of interests may be one of the unspoken aspects of this story, in that there is no woman who is carrying twins who does not know it, virtually, that is. Can we agree on that at least !
That is why my initial posting was both sympathetic and suspectful of all the facts, motivations, cross intersections of interests- cultural and otherwise, that many of us, given our "Western" perspective have very limited extrospection when these things are reported. Simply, it is hard to get your mind around the entire event.
The outcome here, as I stated is good. And as I suggested, the best thing would not to punish the health provider but to move on, and allow the sisters space, time and peace in their own way, that will gain them security. Punishment never helps, always harms. Perhaps the community could help by donations to each sister and their families (including the Doctor) for consultations and coping skill management. There is not reason why these girls can not be healthy and productive, if supported in a unisphere of understanding, not a circus of hate.

[postnow]

This is a bitter sweet story. There is no way to know who is telling the truth and who is lying, the mother or the doctors. For whatever the reason, I think both families should work together for the sake of the girls!!!! The girls has lost 15 years together and now that they found each other. Let them live and bond and be sister from now on.

[tamintexas]

You guys are correct when you point out that none of us really know what happened ... other than someone is lying. And you're also correct in that countless unwanted children are 'disposed of' each day - worldwide - even in the US. And, sadly, countless children are stolen each day as well. Here's where the bottom line is for me; whether the mother gave the baby away, or whether they stole her, they didn't do it legally. Even though it's a poor country, two educated physicians would have had the knowledge and resources to take on this child legally. Even if the mother didn't want to sign papers b/c of her own shame, the doctors would have had to secure some type of birth certificate for the child. If they traveled they would have had to obtain a passport. This means they had to LIE to obtain such items! And if they had to lie to keep her it means it was wrong. And in my opinion if their taking the child had been on the 'up & up' there would have been some sort of documentation, even if they simply stated to the authorities that the child had been abandoned. And, had that been the case, they could produce those documents now and the whole story would be more believable.

[mamabear477]

I think the parents should leave the whole thing up to the children and let them decide if they want to keep in touch. The adults should just leave it alone, to much has happened to the girl to change anything now

[amorrice]

This is most unfortunate that a child that has been with this Romo family all her life, believing them to be her parents, and then finding out that it was all a lie, she is the victim. And if she wants to stay with them then let her be. But if it is true that the Doctor's took her without her mother's say, then shame on them. And some kind of punishment must be dealt out so that others do not think that they can get away with the same thing.

[hunnie323]

It's is sad these two girls are put into this kind of situation...but it's not that uncommon as people think. They've made movies and tv shows on this type of situation although they are mostly fictional. The idea of ripping a child from the only family she's known is hard. Marielisa is 15 and only 3 more years till she can legaly make up her own mind, it could possibly take that long just to settle this dispute in court.
Being an adoptive child myself I can tell you it's scary and exciting to find your "real" parents/family.
My parents were very young when they had me and I was very sick when I was born they thought I had died. Only to find out 18 years later I was alive and well, living only a couple of hours from them.
As soon as they saw me they wanted to take me home. Of course most parents/parent in that situation would want what is theirs it's their blood their child. But the childs feelings arn't going to be that easy to change. And going through the courts will just make things harder and more stressful. If they could settle this out of court it might have a better outcome. It sounds to me that either there was a mis communication, or someone is lying.

[davehartlin]

luap 123 - get off your high horse "paul" or someone may push you off!!

[bjk20]

Dear luap123, your post makes me very sad. You make no mention of love or forgiveness %u2013 which is what Christianity is all about. Your preaching of death and damnation does nothing for our cause.

Either the mother lied, or the doctors lied, but I think that is insignificant compared to the fact that both girls appear happy and healthy in their families. Marielisa is wise in stating that if the biological parents really love her, they%u2019ll drop the suit. Each girl is probably questioning the integrity of their parents; the best option for all parties would be to drop the suit and begin to get to know one another. What an exciting thing to suddenly realize you have a sister!

[memars]

How do all of you people who are judgemental of either the doctors or the birth mother know so well who was lying and who is telling the truth about something fifteen years ago when none of you were there and have seen no evidence. At least the two girls have the chance to know each other now, and also the birth mother. Now the one girl has opportunity that she would not have had, and because of it the other will also probably have opportunity. I am happy for both of the girls.

[gabrial_lord]

You know there are many of you that have very inciteful comments on this story, but I hate it when people throw sin at every situation they can get there hands. There was no sin here because there was no theft like River152 said the mother was an opportunist, I know people like that and they **** me off because they assume that they deserve to have something just because they say they do. THey concoct some crock story and everybody just eats it up. If you ask me things should just return to the way they were before the girls met or as close as can be possibly be achieved and to all you religous "Fanatics" out there if you don't like what I have to say tough luck because there is no way I'm going to let up for someone that believes that they are the only non-sinners on the face of the planet.

[ford4six]

the 2 girls don't look identical. fraternal maybe, but not identical. none of you are in either of the girls position so you don't really have a right to say whether she should be returned or not. she is old enough and obviously smart enough to make her own choices. let it be.

I think the biological mother is an opportunist. Ecuador is a very poor country. The mother most likely did not want two babies--could not afford two babies--probably didn't relish the idea of any babies. The doctor raised one and the mother had no intentions of looking for the other baby until she accidentally ran into her. She had to concoct a story that made her look good. How could she tell her daughter that she gave away her sister? Now she sees a way to make herself look like a victim and get a bit of cash in the process. papers couldn't have been signed because the mother probably didn't want anyone else to know she gave away a baby. The doctor, rather than sending the kid to an orphanage, raised the baby as his own. Do you know how many people sell their babies in third world countries? How many kids are dumped on the streets because they are not wanted? There is no birth control readily available and women produce babies yearly thought they can't afford to raise them.

[dogtiredmom]

It is indeed wrong morally and legally to steal a child. The biological mother should have her child back. Unfortunately, the girl is 15 and has known no other parents and at this age will have a much harder time adjusting to a new, even if it is her biological, family. The doctors should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and have their license's taken away.
The girls remark was that the doctors treated her well and respected her. What kid says that. Most, that I know of would say that their parents loved them. Sounds way off any way you look at it.
Shame on the doctors...shame shame shame.
I am sure that this happens more than any of us are aware. And that is truly scarey.

[tommieofford]

Don't you have a cheery outlook, Luap 123. Be sure to stay away from us nasty, filthy, sinning
Homosapiens. (I assume thats what you were referring to when saying ****)

[tommieofford]

Yes, what they did was wrong, most definity however to punish the adopters now would mean
punishment for the girl even though that would be
a non-intended side effect.

In a different circumstance (like murder) I would
have the opinion to prosecute but this is a completely unique situation that is almost 15 years in the making. 15 years of emotional bonding with the adopters, 15 years of the actual parents not knowing the existance of the other daughter.

Yes, the actual parents are now experiencing a loss they never thought/knew about before but
now. It is all about the siblings getting together, not about the parents feelings and while I feel their pain, persueing legal action
against the adopters will just expand their pain.

Nothing they can do will make up for the 15 years
missed of this childs life but they can destroy any chance of a relationship if they do not think
of the consequences of possible future action.

[jimtsutsui]

Too late, they already made a movie about this with Lindsay Lohan. LOL

At 15 years of age, the girl would of course want to stay with her adopted parents. If I were the biological parents I would let the allure of getting to be with her twin sister be the reason for them to get together. As for the lawsuit, there has to be some laws broken and some illegalities. No adoption papers? Fradulant birth certificate? Were the adopted parents sterile? A full investigation is necessary. If there was foul play involved, just wait until the adopted twin gets to be older and starts to question her parents like most teens do. That is when you will see real justice played out. Kids are always blaming their parents for why their lives don't work. I can hear it now, "you stole me as a baby, don't talk to me about what's right and what's wrong..." This would make an interesting movie, only this time don't use Lindsey Lohan.

[mxctee]

Trueprocess sounds like a fool. Rather they claim the woman agreed to give away one of her babies they should have been smart enough to know that they have to go about it legally. True enough it seems as though the child was not harmed, and was raised well, but there is no telling how those doctors could have brain washed that girl. The mother should have total rights to her daughter because of the simple fact there wasn't any legal documents. True enough the girl probably doesn't want to be taken away from her so-called parents because those are the only parents that she has known, but does that make it right? No there was still a crime committed her. This is an outrage, and the sad thing about it is this type of stuff goes on around the country all the time. Those doctors just thought they would never get busted. Id that was my child I would want her back. Yes it would take some time for her to adjust and yes she would probadly need mental help.Still in all those doctors need to be thrown in jail.