When the midwife brought the newborn twins to the mother, she was speechless. The girls were born with different skin colors.
Twin sisters Lucy and Maria Aylmer were born 20 years ago in Gloucester, UK. Their father is white, and their mother is dark-skinned, half-Jamaican. In addition to Lucy and Maria, there are three other children with dark skin color in the family. “Our brothers and sisters have skin color – between Maria and me. We are at opposite ends of the spectrum, and they are all somewhere in the middle,” explained the white-skinned Lucy. While Maria looks like her mother’s relatives, Lucy looks like her paternal grandmother.
As a child, Lucy endured ridicule because she was not like her siblings. She even thought she was adopted.
The girls differ not only in looks and personality but also in their interests. Maria is sociable, Lucy is shy. Maria studies law in college. Lucy studies art and design.
“As we have grown older, even though we look so different, the bond between us has become much stronger,” Maria shared.
“Maria likes to tell people at college that she has a white twin sister,” Lucy shared. “And I’m very proud to have a dark-skinned twin sister,” she added.
