Richie and Danielle were ecstatic to discover they were pregnant with identical twin boys. But once doctors checked the newborns' vitals after their delivery in 2013, they realized the incredible truth.
Lucas and Louie, with their icy blond hair and crystal blue eyes, aren't your average identical twins. They are "mirror-image" twins who are, literally, matching reflections of one another. In other words, Lucas' heart, spleen and liver are on the opposite side of his body.
While mirror-image twins share the same physical features, some are opposite. For example, if one twin is right-handed the other twin may be left-handed. They may also possess near-matching fingerprints and even share the same DNA.
Mirror-image twins occur very rarely in pregnancy when a single embryo splits very late, or around 10 days after conception. Had Lucas and Louie split just one day later, they would have been conjoined.
Read on to meet these two adorable miracles, and see them for yourself…
Richie and Danielle couldn't believe they were pregnant with identical twin boys. Doctors knew the boys shared the same amniotic sac, but it wasn't until after they were born that they realized Lucas and Louie were mirror-image twins.
When facing each other, mirror-image twins appear as matching reflections. Lucas' heart, spleen and liver are on the opposite side of his body. Absolutely fascinating!
Mirror-image twins are rare, affecting up to a quarter of all identical twins. 10 days after conception, Lucas and Louie divided into two. Had they split just a day later, they would have been conjoined.
Mirrored features can also be external. For example, a twin with a birthmark on her left check will have a mirror twin with a birthmark on her right check. They can even have hair that swirls in opposite directions.
Now almost two years old, Lucas and Louie are happy, healthy and energetic toddlers. "The bonding and the closeness of them is unreal to watch," Dad says.
