After Brittany Daniel battled stage IV non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the actress learned she might never be able to have children – that’s when her identical twin sister came to the rescue.
Cynthia Daniel didn’t think twice about donating her eggs to her sister. On Oct. 24, 2021, Brittany and her husband Adam Touni welcomed a daughter named Hope.
“I saw it as such a simple gift I could give to her,” Cynthia told People magazine on Wednesday. “I know Brittany would do it in a split second for me. And we’ve always shared everything, so why not this?”
The women, 45, both starred on the TV series “Sweet Valley High” from 1994 until 1997. Afterward, they went on separate paths. Brittany continued pursuing a Hollywood career with roles in “White Chicks” and “The Game.” Cynthia chose to start a family with her husband, “Yellowstone” actor Cole Hauser. They share three children: Ryland, 17, Colt, 13, and Steely, 8.
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Brittany Daniel and Cynthia Daniel starred in the hit ’90s series ‘Sweet Valley High’. (Photo by J. Vespa/WireImage)
“I always thought I’d be the first to get married and start a family,” Brittany admitted. “But I was serious about my career, and I was having a good time.”
But life for Brittany completely changed in 2011 when she was diagnosed with cancer. According to the outlet, she endured six months of chemotherapy with Cynthia by her side.
“There were definitely moments when I thought, ‘Am I going to lose my sister?'” Cynthia recalled. “She was so strong, but it was so hard to watch.”
After Brittany recovered, she had a revelation.
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While Brittany Daniel (left) chose to continue pursuing her Hollywood career, Cynthia Daniel decided to step back from acting and start a family. (Photo by Barry King/FilmMagic)
“… I was ready to find a partner and have a child,” she told the outlet.
According to the outlet, a fertility specialist told Brittany that due to the intense chemotherapy, she had a diminished egg reserve, which meant getting pregnant on her own would be impossible. She brought up the idea of egg donation to the twins. Cynthia discussed it with Hauser and everyone was on board.
Six months later, Brittany met Toumi, a broker associate. They tied the knot in 2017. Despite finding love, Brittany was devastated to discover that three in vitro fertilization (IVF) attempts using Cynthia’s eggs proved to be unsuccessful.
“I thought I might have to wrap my head around not being a mom in this lifetime,” said Brittany. “I fought so hard to get there, and I was so scared it wasn’t going to happen.”
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Brittany Daniel (L) and Cynthia Daniel are now proud parents. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for SU2C)
Refusing to give up hope, the outlet noted that Brittany and her husband turned to surrogacy using Cynthia’s eggs. Both parents were in the room when Hope was born. After negative COVID results and self-quarantine, Cynthia met her niece in December.
“… I just felt like the aunt,” Cynthia shared. “And that is really special.”
The sisters are currently making plans for the cousins to meet. Brittany is also thinking about expanding her family using another embryo created with Cynthia’s egg. But for now, she’s happily embracing her greatest role – that of mom to Hope.
“… My sister made my dreams come true,” said Brittany.
