One of the twin stars of 'Sweet Valley High' used her sister's donated egg to have a baby

• Brittany Daniel had a child via a surrogate after her twin sister Cynthia donated her eggs.
• The sisters starred together on the 1990s teen drama "Sweet Valley High."

Brittany Daniel told People that her twin sister, Cynthia, donated an egg to her so that she could have a child after undergoing treatment for lymphoma.

The twins played Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield in the 1990s teen drama "Sweet Valley High," based on the book series.

Brittany continued acting after the show's cancellation while Cynthia pivoted to photography, People reported in 2019. To this day, the pair maintain a joint Instagram account under the handle @brittanyandcynthiadaniel, and they're set to star in the Disney+ remake of "Cheaper by the Dozen," Deadline reported.

Brittany was diagnosed with stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2011 and underwent six months of chemotherapy, People reported. The actor said that she "had a new lease on life" and was ready to have a child after recovery, but learned from a fertility specialist that she may not be able to due to a diminished egg reserve that was likely the result of chemotherapy.

According to Brittany, her sister Cynthia, who has three children of her own with husband Cold Hauser, "didn't hesitate" to donate her eggs.

"I saw it as such a simple gift I could give to her," Cynthia told People. "I know Brittany would do it in a split second for me. And we've always shared everything, so why not this?"

After three unsuccessful in vitro fertilization (IVF) attempts, baby Hope was born via a surrogate on October 24, 2021, with both Brittany and her husband, Adam Touni, in the room during delivery. Cynthia met her niece in December.

"I just let out this primal cry," Brittany said of the moment when she first met her daughter. "The entire room was bawling because they just all knew what we had been through."

Brittany told People that she's considering having more children down the line via Cynthia's donated eggs.

"[Motherhood is] better than I ever thought it could be," Brittany said. "My sister made my dreams come true."

Other celebrities, including Kristen Wiig, have spoken about going through the IVF process, which Wiig described as "the most difficult time" in her life to InStyle. Celebrities including Tan France, Anderson Cooper, and Sarah Jessica Parker have also spoken about having their kids via surrogates.