Jan. 2, 2009
Couple Gives Birth To Rare Twins, Again
Mixed Race Couple Give Birth To Black And White Twin Girls
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Play CBS Video Video Black And White Twins A British family has welcomed a second set of rare twins to their family. In each set, one twin is black like the father and the other is white like the mother. Elizabeth Palmer reports.
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Video Rare Twins Born, Again It's a New Year's celebration for a British couple who welcomed a second set of fraternal twins. Both sets look as different as their mother and father who are black and white. Karen Brown reports.
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Alison Spooner and Dean Durrant with their four girls. (CBS)
"I was as blown away as the rest of them, you know, there is no easy way to explain it all. I feel like I'm still in shock myself even though the first ones were seven years ago. It's amazing, but we just love them the same," says Dean Durrant, the father.
As CBS News correspondent Elizabeth Palmer reports, Alison Spooner and Durrant welcomed daughters Lauren and Hayleigh into the world seven years ago. Lauren takes after her white mother, while Hayleigh, takes after her father.
When the couple announced earlier this year that they were having another set of twins, they didn't think lightening would strike twice.
"I honestly didn't think that it would happen again.I thought that we'd have two of the same. Well I didn't think that we'd have twins again for a start," Spooner says.
This time, baby Miya has her father's dark skin, while Leah looks like her mother.
Doctors say the phenomenon is so rare, that there are no statistics to illustrate the probability of it happening.
"Even non-identical twins aren't that common. Non-identical twins from mixed parents, of different races, less common still. To have two eggs fertilized and come out two different colors, less common still. So, to have it happen twice must be one in millions," explains Dr. Sarah Jarvis.
The twins were born premature last month and breathing problems kept them in a special care unit for a few weeks. But the family is all home now, looking forward to a happy health new year times two.
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- Um, I don''t see it. Both girls look like they are of mixed black/white race, or something else totally. I am not sure how anyone else can''t see that. Black people alone come in all shades and complexions anyway. But, I am here to tell them that this story is not a valid one.
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- My mother had 2 sets of fraternal twins which I always thought was pretty cool. But this story is AMAZING! Good luck to the family!
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Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
