Identical Twins Who Look Nothing Alike

Author: Jonathan Braue
Published On: 03/27/2019

Adam and Neil Pearson are identical twins, but you’d never know it from looking at them. Although they share the same DNA, their appearances are vastly different; each suffers from neurofibromatosis, a rare genetic disorder that has affected them in divergent ways. They tell their story in Jonathan Braue’s deeply affecting short documentary, The Pearson Twins.

 

“I was always aware that I had the same condition as him, but also fully aware that he had the facial disfigurement and I didn’t,” Neil says in the film. Adam suffers from benign tumors that began forming on his face when the Pearsons were boys. They grew progressively worse over time. In school, he endured much bullying—“one of the worst things a human can do to another human,” as he describes it in the film. As an adult, Adam explains that he can never go anywhere without being gaped at. Neil, meanwhile, appears physically unscathed but experiences neurological problems that severely impair his memory.

 

Read and watch here.


Want to view archived newsletters? Click Here!

Newsletter

Sign up to receive the latest neurofibromatosis news and information in your inbox!

Subscribe

Categories

Have a story you'd like to share with the NF community? Click Here!