Twins Separated In The Name Of Science

Elyse Schein And Paula Bernstein Were Raised In Different Homes For An Experiment

(CBS)  Elyse Schein always knew who she was: the adored little sister adopted by a couple who wanted nothing more than to raise a beautiful little girl in their loving home near Long Island Sound.

It never seemed strange to her that she was adopted.

"Our next-door neighbors were adopted, and I also had two cousins who were adopted," Schein told CBS News correspondent Joie Chen. "So, it seemed very normal."

Paula Bernstein also grew up in a happy home in suburban New York. She loved her adopted parents and older brother and even wrote an article explaining "Why I Don't Want to Find My Birth Mother."

"I always say, you know, the people who haphazardly created me are not my real parents," she said. "My real parents are the ones who took me in, and I always felt that, you know, family is what you make, not necessarily what you're born into."

Schein's normal childhood was followed by college, then film school abroad. The year was 2003: Schein found herself in Paris, an aspiring filmmaker working as a receptionist to make ends meet. Then, acting on a whim, she opened a door that changed her life.

"I was Googling information and I said, well, 'What's out there? Here I am in Paris, France. What's going on with my old friends in college who I lost touch with?' And I said, 'Huh, what's going on with those biological parents?" she said.

It was a casual inquiry but it brought this letter from the adoption agency.

"Well, it said, 'You were born on October 9, 1968 at 12:51pm, the younger of twin girls,'" she said.

"Oh my God, I'm a twin! Can you believe this? Is this really happening?"

Researchers have long been intrigued by the ties that bind twins. In the darkest days of World War II, Nazi scientists performed horrific medical experiments on twins, attempting to advance their disturbed notions of genetic superiority.

Fast forward to today: Just last month, as they do every year, thousands of twins gathered in Twinsburg, OH. for the annual Twins Day Festival. A happy occasion, to be sure, but also an opportunity for forensic scientists to explore why it is that twins with identical DNA still have unique fingerprints.

But the only twins research that interested Schein was any information that would help her find the sister she never knew she had.

"I knew that we were both born in New York," she said. "And the adoption agency was located in New York. So it seemed like a good place to start."

When Bernstein began grappling with bouts of depression in college, she turned to the adoption agency that placed her hoping heredity might help explain her illness.

"I remember looking in the mirror one day when I was a college sophomore and it struck me," Bernstein said. "I bet my birth mother would understand this. Something is wrong with me. Something is wrong with the way I'm thinking. And I think the only one who might have a clue about what I'm going through is my birth mother. I don't wanna meet her, but I want to find out some answers."

That was 1987. Little did Bernstein know that years later that anxious request would result in a fateful phone call from Louise Wise, the adoption agency that placed her with her family.

"I thought, 'Why would they be calling me now after all these years?'" she said. "And at that point, the woman on the phone said, 'Is this Paula Bernstein? Were you adopted from Louise Wise?'" And she said, "Well, I've got some news for you: You've got a twin sister and she's looking for you."

It was news Bernstein wasn't quite certain she was prepared to deal with ... so she took down her twin's phone number but also asked for the number of a social worker.

"I think in the excitement of the moment and perhaps it was a Freudian slip, I dialed Elise's number," Bernstein said.

"And I picked up the phone," Schein said. "And I hear 'Hello?'"

"So, I heard her voice on the end of the line and I realized what I did," Bernstein said.

"It's almost like I'm hearing my own voice in a recorder back at me," Schein said.

"It's funny because I feel like in a way I was talking to an old, close friend I never knew I had," Bernstein said. "Which is very funny that we had an immediate intimacy, and yet, we didn't know each other at all."

With each new detail, the reunited twins got to know one another, found out about their differences and their remarkable similarities. They'd both gone to graduate school in film. They both loved to write.

"I think, you know, when we met it was undeniable that we were twins," Bernstein said. "But we weren't sure what our relationship was to one another. And I think it's taken, you know, 3 1/2 years for us to become sisters."

While the women tried to learn how to become sisters, they also were learning more about the curious circumstances that surrounded their birth and separation.

Dr. Lawrence Perlman was a research assistant in the late 1960s for a study conducted by child psychiatrists. He confirmed what the women had come to suspect: that their separation was part of a study designed to test the impact of nature versus nurture.

"It was a study of adopted identical twins who were reared by different families without the families having knowledge of their twinship," he said. "So it was a unique study where you might be able to parcel out nature versus nurture influences, because they were genetically identical but they were raised in totally different households."

Bernstein and Schein believe that the research also focused on whether mental disturbances are hereditary.

"A good number of the twins and triplets who were involved, did come from families with history of mental illness," Bernstein said.

The study was never completed; the files were sealed.

"They didn't publish," Bernstein said. "Because, by the time it was ready to be published, they realized that the public outcry against them would be too strong. We've spoken with one of the key researchers in the study who still has absolutely no reservations about what they did."

"They express no remorse," Schein said. "It's actually shocking."

In all, five pairs of identical twins and one set of triplets were separated, though it's not clear if that decision was made solely so they could be studied. Ronny Diamond of New York's Spence Chapin services, who reviewed the records of the now-defunct Louise Wise Adoption Agency, doesn't believe the separation was meant to be harmful.

"I have to believe that their intentions were good," she said. "And there are studies that look at twins reared apart. It's given us so much rich information on genetics versus environment. So the study would have been fabulous."

Nevertheless, he admits, this isn't something that would happen today. Still, Diamond expects the questions will keep coming - questions she may not be able to answer because of strict privacy regulations.

"I'm aware of, certainly, at least one situation of separated identical twins who do not know," Diamond said.

She isn't sure if she has the right to tell them.

Paula Bernstein and Elyse Schein began their journey from "Identical Strangers" three and a half years ago. They're now confidantes and co-authors of a book that chronicles their experience.

"I am proud that I found my twin and that we wrote a book together, and we shared this journey together," Schein said.

Now they finally feel like sisters.

"But it's perhaps even closer than sisters," Schein said, "Because we're also twins."

[j5lsr]

As an adopted adult who has very recently reunited with her birth mother and family, I find it just AMAZING that I used the EXACT same words to describe my immediate relationship with my birth mother! I always knew I was adopted and had a wonderful childhood and a wonderful adopted family (2 of my siblings were adopted as well), I don''t feel I''ve betrayed anyone by contacting my birth mother. I didn''t get a "new" family, I simply added on!

I would love to discuss their experiences with them. Please let Elyse and Paula have my e-mail address if they would like to contact me.

Thank you -- incredible story!

[mishamom1]

Being an adoptee and an adoptive parent, I was very interested in this story. Growing up I knew I had siblings and I was lucky that I searched and found my birthmother and four of six siblings. And my adoptive mother was a twin, so I have some understanding of that bond.
I really feel for all of the families that were affected by the Louise Wise folks. It is such a shame that all of those twins were separated, and some have still not been reunited, or even told about their twin. But what REALLY got me was Ronnie Diamond''s response to knowing that there is at least one set of twins that do not know they are twins. For her to say that she doesn''t know if she has "the right to do that" is shocking. How would she feel if she were one of those twins? So much for "what is in the best interest of the child"! Adoption has come a long way, but there is so much more that can be done. God bless all of those families that were deceived by the Louise Wise group. Growing up adopted can be challenging enough without an agency muddying the situation.
Marilyn

[mishamom1]

Being an adoptee and an adoptive parent, I was very interested in this story. Growing up I knew I had siblings ''out there somewhere''. I was very lucky; I searched and found my birthmother and four of six ''missing'' birth siblings. I cannot imagine spending your whole life not knowing or being with your twin sibling. (My adoptive mother was a twin so I know how close twins are). The real jolt for me though was Ronnie Diamond''s response to knowing of a set of twins that were in the study but that the twins didn''t know they had a twin. For her to say she didn''t "know if I have the right to do that", to inform them of their twin!!! Although there certainly are privacy laws and such, how can that be "in the best interest of the children"? Adoption laws (restrictions) have hidden behind that for way too long. I''ll be the first to admit that adoption has come a long way from the 40''s & 50''s, it still has a long way to go. I really feel for all of those families that were deceived and denied by the Louise Wise folks. God bless all who were damaged by those uncaring people.
Marilyn

[pilgrimsway-2009]

Hello adopted Esther, in 1966; you were originally (Meehan), were you born on 9,26,1963? I am your sister Sharon L. Contact V. Tierney at Catholic Home Bureau, NY.

[hamklh]

adoptees do NOT have the same U.S. Constitutional rights as all other Americans......even the illegal ones.......

[barcruise]

Please send me the name of the music that was played behind this story. Send to [e-mail]. A very interesting story. Hope more information will be given in the future.

[michellem99-2009]

I am a single birth person. I feel twins should grow up with other. The nanny states like breaking up familiis as the foster parenrs get money as some end up there. They are family/sisters and brothers. Hope they can find their twin. The grandfafther saids it best.A love of a grandfather. It is awful when children are used for selfish reasons. The reason it happens is we allow it as a people.

[toolmangler-2009]

As the Granfather of Mirror twins I feel that this should never have been allowed to happen. I won''t get on a soapbox but it was very wrong in my earnest/honest opinion.

[pilgrimsway-2009]

Hello adopted Esther, in 1966; you were originally (Meehan), were you born on 9,26,1963? I am your sister Sharon L. Contact V. Tierney at Catholic Home Bureau, NY.

[pilgrimsway-2009]

Hello adopted Esther you were originally (Meehan), were you born like 9,26,1963? I am your sister Sharon L. Contact V. Tierney at Catholic Home Bureau, NY. Sorry for the earlier dates.

[mitywhity]

They should now remove these researchers from their homes and families and place them in custody far away from the familiar as an experiment on Dementedness versus Detention to let them fully experience their science.

[michellem99-2009]

I am against adorpion as they are robbed of who they are. I felt this way ALWAY..

[pilgrimsway-2009]

Hello Esther adopted(Meehan),
Were you born like 6,23,1963? I am your sister sharon L. Contact Nun sister margret____ at Catholic charities.

[murielcc]

You have to wonder how inhuman humans can be. This pseudo science has me retching and I''m not a twin.

[agnim]

"Aliens among humans, and evil ones at that"!

Interesting that it is usually ignorant white/european people who are engaged in these kinds of devilish and destructive behavior, all the way up to the governmental level.

Other cultures have been around for countless generations without thoughts of these kinds of especially senister behaviors.

[neophyter]

The Baby Scoop Era of adoption was even more cruel than adoption can be today. Thousands of babies taken from their mothers because they were unmarried... and are now victimized again by the adoption business because of what their children were told about them. Their mothers are now considered not good enough to know. Cruel.

[safarim1]

I just spent an hour reading about the Louise Wise Abency and affiliates, including the court cases against them. Cornell Law School has posted one of the lawsuits. To claim that because in the 60''s, there was not enough evidence about schizophrenia''s etiology -how much was nature or nurture - and therefore they did not want to inform perspective parents about a foster child''s emotional family background - was a crude manipulation on the part of the agency to deny their responsibility. I wouldn''t be surprised if Dershowitz was on their legal team. It is clear that the agency, with its huge financial investments in real estate, was more interested in maintaing their reputation, so they could keep making lots of money, and less interest in empathy and compassion. It''s clear that Diamond and all connected, esp. those who claim to be Jewish, have no morals and have no idea what Jewish means.

[neophyter]

The Baby Scoop Era of adoption was even more cruel than adoption can be today. Thousands of babies taken from their mothers because they were unmarried... and are now victimized again by the adoption business because of what their children were told about them. Their mothers are now considered not good enough to know. Cruel.

[neophyter]

The Baby Scoop Era of adoption was even more cruel than adoption can be today. Thousands of babies taken from their mothers because they were unmarried... and are now victimized again by the adoption business because of what their children were told about them. Their mothers are now considered not good enough to know. Cruel.

[linfinster]

To: s6hermans at 09:55 AM : Sep 30, 2007

I am so sorry for your loss, and for the pain you must carry with you now knowing the truth of your heritage. I hope you can find peace and love for the rest of your life.