http://www.drum.co.za8 AUGUST (^2019) | 73
LEFT: Like most teenage girls, Neev and Nelly love dressing up, taking photos and
going out to big events such as soccer matches. At one game they took selfies with
Ajax Amsterdam footballer Joël Veltman (ABOVE LEFT and RIGHT).
says Rosianne (24), who has become the
family’s spokesperson. She works as a
caregiver for children with disabilities
and has become her twin sisters’ greatest
advocate.
“Peoplestarted
distancingthem-
selves fromour
family because
theythoughtthe
twinswerethere -
sultofsomekindofvoodoo.”
Oncethefamilyhadsettledintotheir
newhomeanddoctorshadexamined
thegirlsthoroughly,it wasdetermined
separationwasn’tpossible.Astheyshare
a vitalarteryandbloodvessels,forcing
themapartwouldbeequaltoa death
sentence.
Eventhoughthegirlshadaccesstoad-
vancedcareinAmsterdam,growingup
intheEuropeancitywasn’teasy.
It tookthema longtimetomasterthe
artofwalkingtogether,especiallyinbusy
environments,andtheyalsofacedcruel
remarksfromstrangers.
“Wedidn’treallywanttotakethem
outbecausepeoplecanbereallymean,”
Rosiannesays.
“Oncewewerewalkingoutsideand
peoplewereaskingusquestionslike,
‘Whydidn’tyourparentsterminatethe
pregnancy?’
“Itwasreallybad.Peoplewouldtellmy
mother,‘You’rejustkeepingthemalive
forthemoney’.It wassodisrespectful.”
Nellyagrees.“Wehadtobeverycareful
growingup.Itwasannoying.Youwant
togetoutanddoyourownthingbe-
cause with our condition you don’t have
time to live for tomorrow.”
But Rosianne is incredibly proud of her
sisters. “They weren’t expected to make
it toage 10 – nowthey’re 18 andyouhave
tojustthink,‘Wow’.”
Toher,thetwinsare“justmylittlesis-
tersandthat’showit’salwaysbeen”.
“Theyeachhavetheirownpersonality,
forsure.They’reverystubbornandyou
cantelltheyreallywanttomaketheir
ownmarkontheworld.”
N
ELLYandNeev’ssocial-me-
dia accountsshow the
twinsmeetingAjaxAm-
sterdamfootballstarJoël
Veltman, getting their
makeupdoneanddancing
atBeyoncéandJay-Z’sOntheRunII con-
certattheAmsterdamArenalastyear.
GoingtoQueenBey’sconcertwasa
birthdaygiftfromtheirsisterandthe
pairgottoenjoytheshowfroma balco-
ny,awayfromthejostlingmassesofthe
Beyhive.Footageofthetwinsatthecon-
certrackedupthousandsoflikesonYou-
Tube,justastheyhopedit would.
Thegirlsareintentonraisingaware-
nessoftheirconditionandtoshow
peoplethey’remuchmorethantheir
disability.
Rosianneandthegirls’otheroldersiblings,TimothyandMarione, encour-
aged the twins to take up vlogging to
connect with people around the world
and spread their message.
“WehaveourownYouTubechannel so
peoplecanget to
knowus,sohope-
fully peoplewill
stopstaringand
find out we are
sweetgirlsand not
just‘thegirlswitha disability’,”Nellysays.
Andit’sworking,Neevsays.
“It’sfun.Yougettomeetnewpeople
onlineandit’snicetoknowmanypeople
don’tjustrespondnegatively.”
Althoughthetwinshavebeatenthe
oddsbysurvivingintotheirlateteens,
theirlifeexpectancyremainsuncertain.
Buttheydon’tdwellonthat.Theycon-
tinuetoconcentrateontheirstudies at
schoolandtakelifeonedayata time.
AndRosiannecouldn’tbemorede-
lighted.“I’mreallyproudofthem.Really
proud,”shesays.
“They’veaccomplishedsomuchand
havegrownaspeople.
“Atthemoment,they’restillina phase
wheretheyhavetodiscoverwhothey
are.We’llallletthemdothatattheirown
pace.I thinkthefuturecanbepositive.”
Nellyadds,“Livingthiswayiswhat
we’reusedto.Wewouldn’twantto get
separatedevenifitwaspossible.We
wouldn’tdoit.
“Aslongaswe’rehealthy,that’sthe
mostimportantthing.”
EXTRA SOURCES: DAILYMAIL.CO.UK, YOUTUBE.COM,
INSTAGRAM‘Living this way is what we’re used to. We wouldn’t
want to get separated even if it was possible’
GREATSTOCK, INSTAGRAM/NEEVANDNELLY
NEWS