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Twin Or Not, Celebrate National Twin Day With These Amazing Twin Stories

National Twin Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the unique and incredibly special bond between twins, is celebrated every year on August 3rd. If you're lucky enough to have a wombmate and permanent partner-in-crime, this is the perfect opportunity to tell your twin how much you appreciate them. If you weren't born a twin, don't worry. You can still celebrate by reading these eight inspiring twin stories for National Twin Day. If you're twin-less like me, sorry in advance for the FOMO you might get from these amazing (and true) twintastic stories.

Before you check out the stories below, National Twin Day is, of course, a great day to brush up on your twin knowledge. Did you know that, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, the rate of twins being born in the United States increased by 76 percent? There are a few reasons for this. The average age of becoming a mother has gradually risen — and older women are more likely to release multiple eggs at a time. If multiple eggs are fertilized at once, you've got multiples. A second factor leading to higher rates of twins is the increased use of fertility drugs to start a family, which increases a woman's chances of conceiving multiples. Regardless of why we've got more twins, we're just happy to celebrate them.

1

A Hospital Mix-Up

This is absolutely one of the craziest stories I've ever heard, twin-related or not. According to this New York Times article, two sets of identical twins were accidentally mixed up, resulting in two sets of parents taking home one of their own babies, and one of someone else's. The four boys had no idea, until their circles eventually overlapped and the pieces came together. This story is certainly not all "feel good" moments, but is an inspiring commentary on what it means to be family.

2

Handholding Preemies

When fraternal twins Kristian and Kristiana Jackson were born at only 28 weeks gestation, their parents, Anthea and Glen, had to patiently wait for their chance to hold them. Finally, four days after birth, it was their chance — and luckily for the world, cameras were present. In the YouTube video posted by Anthea, you can see the teeny tiny twins holding hands — their twin bond was already formed, and they were in this together. On an unrelated note... please pass the tissues.

3

Inspiring Strength From A #TwinMom

While the bond between twins is often talked about, what about the incredible strength that comes with being a twin mom? Emily Marston, a twin momma to Arthur and Finley, captured a snapshot of that #twinmompower in this viral Instagram post. Capturing her C-section scar and her tiger stripes, she writes, "With a scar that I will have for the rest of my life is a tiny sacrifice for a lifetime of beautiful memories with my family. Your stretch marks DO NOT define you, your scar DOES NOT define you, your flab DOES NOT define you. You are incredible, you are a mother and you are the light of your babies eyes." On National Twin Day, we've gotta give a shout-out to the incredible mothers that brought their twins into the world.

4

Twin Brothers, Biggest Fans

The video above, created by Newsday, is a tearjerker. Joe and John Tardif are twin brothers who were born prematurely. Joe is now thriving, and has grown into a talented athlete, and John has cerebral palsy and is unable to speak or walk. Despite their differences, Joe and John are the best of friends and, most importantly, each other's biggest fans. Watch the video above and be prepared to cry.

5

"Twinsters" Living Continents Apart

If you're looking for a movie to watch this National Twin Day, look no further. This documentary Twinsters, follows two women: Anaïs, a French woman living in London, and Samantha, an American woman. When Anaïs discovers Samantha through a YouTube video, she can't believe how similar they look. This documentary follows their journey meeting each other, and discovering they're identical twins.

6

Twins, Twins, & Twins Again

Misty Lang is a twin herself, but she was under the impression that the "twin gene" skipped a generation... until she had her first set of twins, Alex and Lexie. And then a second set, Lacie and Nash. And then a third set, Lana and Phoenix. According to this Daily Mail article, "There is only a one in 500,000 chance that a woman will give birth to three sets of twins naturally," so I'd consider that pretty inspiring.

7

Lifelong Best Friends

In my humble opinion, the only thing sweeter than newborn twins are twins who have been by each other's sides for the long haul. Simone Thiot and Paulette Olivier have alway been best friends and partners, and they credit their closeness for their longevity. They told the Express Tribune in 2016, "We are still alive because we have always stayed close. We keep our independence — each of us has her own room — but we only need to cross the corridor to see and talk to each other."

8

Long-Distance Twinning

The bond between twins apparently isn't weakened by a little distance, and Sarah Mariuz and Leah Rodgers proved that. According to this story by Today, the sisters became pregnant at the same time (without planning it), and were ecstatic to find out their due dates were only four days apart. However, the cousins decided to come on the same day — the sisters both welcomed babies on the same day, and, amazingly, at the same time in their respective time zones.