Thank you for your prayers, love & support.

Sharing My “Tori”: A letter for my twin

Hi everyone, my name is Tori. I’d like to introduce you to my sister, my twin, my hero, and the reason I am writing to you today, Teresa. My twin was born with Cerebral Palsy, or CP… I was not. Teresa is the kindest, warmest, most compassionate companion anyone could ask for and the sidekick in my life. We are 51 years old, born in New Jersey, raised by a single mother for most of our lives in Houston, Texas. We have never shared our story with anyone outside of friends and family until now, and honestly, we never planned to. A few things have changed recently though… a few big things. Teresa was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. It has spread to at least two lymph nodes, and just last week, doctors found signs of possible early onset uterine cancer. She has a very difficult journey ahead of her, but she has no reference for what lies ahead and doesn’t understand the urgency of the clinical stages she’s now in. Her first surgery is Wednesday, August 10th.

Growing up, our lives as twins looked very different. I went to school, got jobs, took on normal responsibilities like bills and laundry, had “typical” struggles, “typical” experiences… dated, got married, got divorced… Teresa has never been able to learn to drive, cook, navigate travels, handle prolonged schooling or jobs, or live on her own. In a way, she is the Peter Pan who stayed a young girl forever. She is goodness. She has never let cynicism or loss take away from the glittering, wondrous belief in life’s possibilities, a lens we all ultimately start to lose when we lose our childhood. Teresa - never “Tess” - has definitely embraced her own style of dancing through life! She loves to play. If she meets you even one time, expect a hug every time. Every stranger is her friend. She loves to dance when she can feel the music and can help anyone overcome their stage fright. To her, there is no bad or evil in the world. She counts the days before the Easter Bunny and Santa visits her again every year. Her childlike spirit lifts me up no matter how low I get. She teaches me to enjoy the little things that make life a miracle and reminds me to celebrate myself whenever I trip and faceplant on life’s obstacles. She is magic.

But I worry for her. She is in a critical state, and we are reaching out to all of you in hopes of covering some out-of-pocket costs for Teresa’s medical expenses. My family and I are hopeful that, taken in stride and with all the support we can give her, Teresa will come out stronger on the other side. We want her to focus on healing as we fundraise as much as we can.

Thank you for your compassion, your time to let us briefly share this part of our journey, and for any help you can give.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me, Tori, directly.

Be happy and healthy,

Tori & Teresa