Brittany Daniel Announces Her Baby Came From Her Sister's Donor Egg

Actress Brittany Daniel recently opened up to People magazine about her experience with IVF, surrogacy and the special bond she shares with her egg donor.

Brittany and her twin, Cynthia, rose to fame together starring on "Sweet Valley High" in the '90s. Since then, the sisters moved on to individual paths—Brittany found work guest-starring in shows like "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and the film "White Chicks," and Cynthia started a family with "Yellowstone" star Cole Hauser.

Despite the career divergence, the pair have always been incredibly close. "We are so intertwined," Brittany shared. "Everything that's hers is mine and everything that's mine is hers."When Brittany was diagnosed with stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2011 and was told she may never have children due to the chemotherapy's effect on her egg reserve, Cynthia immediately stepped up to the plate and donated her own eggs to Brittany. Cynthia "didn't hesitate...Words cannot express how grateful I am to her," Brittany said.

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

After three rounds of unsuccessful IVF using Cynthia's eggs, Brittany was devastated. "I thought I might have to wrap my head around not being a mom in this lifetime," she told People. "I fought so hard to get there, and I was so scared it wasn't going to happen."

The Daniel sisters persevered and turned to surrogacy instead, using Cynthia's eggs. On October 24, 2021, Brittany and her husband, Adam Touni, welcomed their daughter, appropriately named Hope, into the world.

Both parents were in the room when Hope was born, and watching their baby finally arrive was emotional. "I just let out this primal cry," said Brittany. "The entire room was bawling because they just all knew what we had been through."

In December, Cynthia was finally able to meet her niece. "I wasn't sure how I was going to feel at first, what emotions would come up," she said. "But I just felt like the aunt. And that is really special."

Brittany and her husband are considering expanding the family using Cynthia's eggs in the future. But for now, they're enjoying time with their baby girl. "It's better than I ever thought it could be. My sister made my dreams come true."