Discovering family secrets: The unveiling of Georgian twins separated at birth
Twin sisters from Georgia, separated at birth, reunited 19 years later, spurred by a serendipitous TikTok video.
cumhuriyet.com.trAmy Khvitia, a 12-year-old captivated by "Georgia’s Got Talent," noticed a contestant resembling her. Questioning her mother, she received a dismissive response: "Everyone has a doppelganger." This incident sparked curiosity and confusion, with friends and family mistaking the contestant for Amy.
The mystery unraveled years later. At 19, Amy posted a TikTok video showcasing her eyebrow piercing, catching the attention of Ano, her estranged twin. Mistaking Amy for herself, Ano embarked on a quest to find the girl in the video. A university WhatsApp group led to a Facebook connection, unveiling their shared past.
Their first meeting, a week later at Rustaveli metro station in Tbilisi, was surreal. "It was like looking in a mirror," Amy remarked. Ano, usually averse to physical affection, embraced her sister, an instinctive reaction to their uncanny resemblance.
Confronting their families, they uncovered a disturbing truth. Adopted weeks apart in 2002 from Kirtskhi Maternity Hospital, the twins learned of their illegal adoption. Their adoptive families, unaware of the twins' relationship and the illegality of the transaction, declined to disclose the purchase details.
Further investigation led them to their biological mother, Aza, through a Facebook group led by journalist Tamuna Museridze. Aza revealed that, after emerging from a coma post-delivery, she was falsely informed her babies had died.
Tamuna, who discovered her adoption, shed light on a broader issue: a 'baby black market' in Georgia, involving up to 100,000 stolen babies, a systemic crime.
Following these revelations, Georgian legislation on adoption tightened in 2005 and 2006, aiming to curb illegal practices. The BBC, seeking comments from the Georgian Interior Ministry, faced confidentiality barriers.
This story, intertwining personal discovery with systemic corruption, highlights the profound impact of family secrets and the enduring bond of twins, even when worlds apart.