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Twins born black and white

A MILLION-to-one mother has no problem telling her newborn twins apart – because one was born black and the other white.

Baby boy Leo and baby girl Hope were born by caesarean within a minute of each other but when the midwife handed them to their new mum, Shirley Wales was shocked to see the difference.

With light skin, blue eyes, and fair hair, little Hope is the image of her white father, whereas brother Leo has the same black skin, dark eyes, and thick hair as his Grenadian mother.

Leo was born first weighing 5lb 14oz closely followed by his sister Hope at 6lb 3oz at Dewsbury District Hospital, West Yorks.

Miss Wales, 21, said: “I knew I was having twins, and I knew one was a boy and one was a girl, but I couldn’t believe it when the midwife told me they had different skin tones after I’d given birth to them.

“Throughout the pregnancy I’d joked about the babies being black and white, I even said to my friends that if one was black and one was white I’d call them Ebony and Ivory. When they were born though, I realised it would be cruel to actually call them that.

“I immediately noticed that Hope was completely white and although they didn’t look that different when they were first born, because they both had a bit of jaundice, I could tell Leo’s skin was going to get darker and Hope’s was going to stay white.”

Miss Wales’ parents are both Grenadian while the non-identical twins’ father, who she is no longer in a relationship with, is white.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .