Story of Chinese Identical Twins in Canada

“Lily, who lives in Sutton and Gillian, who lives in Amherstberg, near Windsor, are featured in the January edition of National Geographic, a study of identical twins.

The girls were separately adopted, although born of the same mother in China, who abandoned them 12 years ago in a country that favoured sons over daughters. Recognizing the demographic insanity of the policy, the Chinese government has since re-examined it.

Thanks to a more open adoption system in China at the time, now largely rescinded, two couples were able to adopt the twins, and bring them to Canada, although they were not told the girls were identical twins.

It was obvious from the first moment they were seen by their adoptive parents. Because of Chinese policy at the time, they were not allowed to be adopted together. If the couples had refused, the girls would have been returned to the orphanage to an uncertain fate.”

The story, as told in January’s National Geographic, and for the first time in the April 28, 2000 Georgina Advocate, began when Keswick Presbyterian Church ministers Kirk and Allyson MacLeod looked to China to adopt the child for whom they so yearned. At the same time, Lynette and Mike Shaw in Amherstberg, had made the same decision.

Both used the same adoption agency, along with other couples and travelled to Hunan province, where several baby girls were up for adoption.

The couples first saw their six-month-old adopted daughters when they came to them together and were astounded at their similarities. They looked exactly the same. They had the same laugh, the same cry. They had been told earlier the girls were not related, although they had the same birth date. In either case, they could not be adopted together.

The MacLeods and the Shaws, in an extraordinary display of equanimity, and for the love of their children, decided to remain as close as possible – creating an extended family. And so it has been for the past 12 years.

The girls text or talk every day and see each other every few weeks, with the MacLeods usually making the four-hour trip to Amherstburg because the Shaws have two older biological children who are busy with sports after school.

Both girls go to faith-based schools, Gillian at a Roman Catholic school and Lily at Newmarket Christian Academy.

“I like language and music,” Lily said, enjoying playing the guitar and the flute, like her sister. “I don’t like homework,” she added.

Need it be said? Neither does her sister.

Their favourite music star is teen sensation Justin Bieber, right? “No, we like Taylor Swift,” she said smiling. They also enjoy “girly stuff” like fashion and the latest hairstyles.

They both walked on their own on the same day at 14 months of age.”

“When asked if they want to return to China and perhaps seek their birth mother, both girls said no.
“Maybe one day, if they want. It’s up to them,” Lynette said. “We’ll do it as a family.”

Lily and Gillian, two of a kind, but individuals.

Sisters forever.”

Twins’ adoption story in national magazine
[York Region 2/2/12 by John Slykhuis]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

It is refreshing to see a story where the girls’ needs are being accounted for.

I refrained from putting the giant red corruption piece on this story-occasionally I have some restraint- but this story also does show that China falsified paperwork in Hunan in 2000.