Story by the Associated Press; curated by Dave Urbanski
FULLERTON, Calif. (AP) — Twin sisters Ann Hunt and Elizabeth Hamel were last together 78 years ago — as infants.
But they were reunited last week for the first time since birth in Fullerton, California, thanks to a nudge from their children and help from a psychology professor, the Orange County Register reported Sunday.
Twin sisters, Ann Hunt, left, of Aldershot, England and Liz Hamel, of Albany, Oregon, both 78, reunite May 1, 2014 at the Fullerton Marriott for the first time since 1936, when they were they were separated at five-months-old in Aldershot, England. (AP/Orange County Register, Leonard Ortiz)
Hunt and Hamel are the world’s longest-known separated twins, beating the prior record by three years, California State University, Fullerton, professor Nancy Segal told the Register. Segal wrote about another set of twins who found each other when they were 75.
(Note: Reports differ as to the moment the twins were separated; some report it was at birth while the Daily Mail and others report the separation happened at five months of age.)
More from the Register:
They both have white hair, but style it differently. Hamel is a bit taller. She also claims to be older.
They have a slight resemblance. They’re most likely fraternal twins as opposed to identical, which means they shared their mother’s womb without sharing the identical DNA. A test is pending to be sure.
Hunt, who lives in England, was given up for adoption and only learned she had a twin when she began looking for her birth mother after her adopted mother died.
Hamel, who lives in Oregon, always knew she had a twin but says she never thought she would see her.
Both women were born in Aldershot, England, in 1936. Their mother, a domestic servant, decided to give up one of the girls after their birth father fled.
Hamel said she kept her because she was born with curvature of the spine, which would have made it more difficult for her to be adopted.
"How lovely to see you in the flesh," Hamel said, as she embraced her sister at a hotel in Fullerton.
Here's the clip of that embrace via the BBC/YouTube:
The women were to spend the next day undergoing testing at the Twin Studies Center at California State University, Fullerton, with Segal, who researches twins who were raised apart to better understand the role of genes and environment in human development.
Hamel grew up an only child. She met her husband — a "Yank"— while stationed with the Women's Royal Enlisted Navy in Malta, and eventually moved to the United States. The couple had two sons.
Image source: BBC/YouTube
Hunt was adopted by a couple, and was also raised as an only child. She didn't look for her birth mother until after her adopted mother died, and only learned a year ago she was a twin. Samantha Stacey, one of Hunt's three daughters, tracked down Hamel and sent her a letter.
The two women were soon talking on the phone. Hamel's son Quinton read one of Segal's books about twins and contacted the professor, who arranged the reunion. After undergoing testing in Fullerton, the sisters, who are believed to be fraternal twins, and cousins plan to spend a week at Hamel's home looking at old photos and learning more about each other.
"You wonder about someone and what they're like and suddenly they're here," Hamel said. "It's a shock."
"It's a shock and a joy," Hunt added.
