Twinless twin

A twinless twin is a person who had a twin who has died. There are many causes for such losses and different issues facing each type of twin loss.

A twinless twin who has lost a twin brother or sister before or shortly after birth due to miscarriage, vanishing twin syndrome, stillbirth, or some other complication, does not have memories of their twin. However, many have claimed to sense something missing from their lives even before they ever learn they once had a twin. They say they can feel a real sense of grief not only for the loss of their twin, but for the lack of memories.

A twinless twin who has lost a twin brother or sister as a child or adult goes through the same sense of loss as anyone who loses a sibling. But these feelings can be magnified depending on the closeness of the twins. They may feel as if half of themselves is missing. It does not matter whether the twins were identical or fraternal, same sex or opposite sex twins. They all feel the loss at different levels.

Some twinless twins feel guilt that they have survived when their twin did not. Others may feel the need to live for two and do the things their twin cannot. Children and sometimes even adults who lose a twin can feel displaced within their family. This is particularly so within families who have placed a great deal of emphasis on the fact that they were twins. The twinless twin may now feel like they are less than and not as important or special as they once were.

Twinless twins around the world unite through organizations and online groups to share support and the status as a twinless twin.

Triplets, quadruplets and higher order multiples can also experience this sort of loss.

Notable twinless twins

• Dolla, American rapper, his twin sibling died during birth
• Elvis Presley, pioneering rock musician (twin brother Jesse Garon Presley was stillborn). Elvis often spoke to friends and in interviews about feeling that a major part of him was missing without Jesse. Elvis' middle name at birth, Aron, was spelled to match with Jesse's designated middle name of Garon; but, as Elvis grew older, he expressed to his father his desire to have it spelled in the traditional way, "Aaron"; a wish that his father granted on Elvis' tombstone at Graceland.
• Heather O'Rourke, child actress (twin brother was miscarried).
• Jarosław Kaczyński, former Prime Minister of Poland and identical twin brother of former Polish President Lech Kaczyński, who died in the 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash.
• Liberace, classically trained pianist and comedian known for his elaborate costumes (the entertainer was known to have counseled the young Elvis on being a twinless twin and the desire to "live for two").
• Philip K. Dick, American science fiction author whose twin sister, Jane, died when the twins were five weeks old. The loss of his twin is said to have profoundly affected his writing.
• Marlon Jackson, former Jackson 5 member (twin brother Brandon Jackson was stillborn). As a result of the birth, Marlon was born a few weeks premature, but he survived.
• Miklós Radnóti, Hungarian poet whose twin brother died along with their mother during childbirth.
• Solomon "Shazam" Conner, member of H-Town. His twin brother and bandmate Keven "Dino" Conner was killed in an automobile accident in 2003.
• Chuck Panozzo, member of Styx. His fraternal twin brother and bandmate John Panozzo died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1996.
• Jonathon Blum, American hockey player, whose fraternal twin sister, Ashley, perished in a house fire.
• Tom Gullikson, American tennis player and identical twin brother of Tim Gullikson, who died of brain cancer in 1996.

External links

• TwinlessTwins.org website
• Lone Twin Network (UK) website