The bond between identical twin sisters Brittany Daniel and Cynthia Daniel, the stars of the '90s series "Sweet Valley High," became tighter and stronger after the latter donated her eggs so Brittany could conceive a baby.
On October 2021, Brittany, 45, welcomed her daughter, Hope, with her husband, Adam Touni. She never thought she would have this precious gift after battling stage IV cancer. Cynthia, however, donated her eggs because she knew that Brittany would do the same for her in a heartbeat.
In an interview with People, Brittany said Cynthia made her "dreams come true." Cynthia, on the other hand, exclaimed that they have "shared everything" for most of their lives, so it made sense to share this as well.
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Going on Different Paths
In their younger years, Brittany thought that she would be the first to start a family after "Sweet Valley High" ended its four-season run on television. The sisters starred as the identical teenage twins, Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, based on a popular young adult book series from author Francine Pascal.
Brittany, however, went on to star in more movies and other TV shows, such as "White Chick" and "The Game." Cynthia resigned to married life with "Yellowstone" actor Cole Hauser and started their family. The couple has three children -- 17-year-old Ryland, 13-year-old Colt, 13, and eight-year-old Steely.
However, in 2011, Brittany learned of her cancer and underwent chemotherapy with her sister as her constant support and companion. Cynthia said that there were moments when she thought her sister might die, but Brittany battled the disease with such strength and bravery.
When Brittany recovered, she refocused her life on having a family when she met her future husband. After getting married in 2017, her doctors informed her that the chemotherapy impacted her fertility, so a natural conception might not be possible.
The Challenging IVF Process
Brittany talked to Cynthia about donating her eggs, and the latter never hesitated. Cynthia's husband was also supportive of his sister-in-law's decision.
However, the in vitro fertilization (IVF) process was not easy as Brittany went through three unsuccessful procedures using her twin's eggs. So, Brittany and Adam turned to surrogacy while still using the eggs donated by Cynthia.
After years of trying and waiting, Brittany and Adam were in the delivery room when Hope was born. Two months later, Aunt Cynthia met her niece for the first time in person after following the COVID-19 protocols in the U.S. The twin sisters are already making plans for Hope to meet her cousins next.
Brittany is also considering having more babies since she still has frozen embryos from Cynthia's eggs. But any plans the sisters have been hatching will have to take a backseat as Brittany enjoys being a first-time mother with Hope. When the baby was born, Brittany said that everyone had tears in their eyes in the delivery room, knowing what she went through to have this child.
