Sweet Valley High ’s Brittany Daniel Welcomes Baby After Her Twin Sister Donates Egg
Twin sisters Brittany and Cynthia Daniel share a lot in common—even aside from their genes.
The pair co-starred in the TV series Sweet Valley High from 1994 to 1997 as Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield, and now they're sharing an even more emotional experience.
Brittany learned she may not be able to have children due to her fight with stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, per People. That's when sister Cynthia stepped in to donate her own egg so that Brittany and husband Adam Touni could have a child of their own.
Their daughter, Hope Rose Touni, was born on Oct. 24, 2021. This week, the actresses discussed their heartwarming journey with People.
"I saw it as such a simple gift I could give to her," Cynthia said. "I know Brittany would do it in a split second for me. And we've always shared everything, so why not this?"
Brittany, 45, reflected, "We are so intertwined... Everything that's hers is mine and everything that's mine is hers."
Following her cancer diagnosis in 2011 and subsequent chemotherapy, Brittany recalled feeling that she had a "new lease on life," saying, "I was ready to find a partner and have a child."
She got engaged to Adam in 2016, writing at the time, "My world just became brighter today." The couple tied the knot in 2017 at the Carondelet House in downtown Los Angeles.
She later learned from a fertility specialist that getting pregnant after her treatment would be nearly "impossible," People reported. Brittany asked Cynthia about egg donation, and her sibling "didn't hesitate" after talking it over with her own husband, Cole Hauser.
Cynthia shares kids Ryland, 17, Colt, 13, and Steely, 8, with Cole, who has also made a name for himself in Hollywood in movies like 2 Fast 2 Furious, Good Will Hunting and Dazed and Confused. More recently, he starred as Rip Wheeler in Yellowstone.
"Words cannot express how grateful I am to her," Brittany shared. "I thought I might have to wrap my head around not being a mom in this lifetime."
The Game alum said, "[Motherhood is] better than I ever thought it could be. My sister made my dreams come true."
After Hope was born last year, Cynthia shared a photo with the baby girl. "One of the brightest moments of my life. Meeting my niece for the first time last week took my breath away," she said, while Brittany commented, "Aww sis, you meeting Hope for the first time will be a moment I will always hold dear to my heart."
The new mom gushed, "It's the most amazing moment in our lives. I can't wait for Hope to know you and all the kind and strong women in our family."
What's more, the sisters will soon reunite on the big screen when they star in the new Cheaper by the Dozen movie with Gabrielle Union and Zach Braff for Disney+. "Back together again! We're thrilled," they revealed last year.