Sad truth behind Australia's iconic viral sisters, The Twinnies, revealed by their mother
The heartwarming story behind two of Australia's most recognisable twins has been revealed for the first time.
The Sunshine-Coast-based sisters, Paula and Bridgette Powers, also known as The Twinnies, shot to international fame recently after a TV news interview they did in the aftermath of a violent carjacking went viral.
Dressed in matching blue scrubs with a rabbit pattern, the pair described how their mother went to help a bloodied man only to be confronted with a gun-wielding car thief.
Talking almost in complete unison, the pair captivated social media, but the clip also saw them face widespread trolling for their oddball behaviour.
But behind the viral video lies a beautiful story of two people who have moved past a difficult upbringing and found a meaningful way to give back, despite battling ongoing health issues.
'I brought them home from the hospital and I thought there was something wrong, and in my heart, I knew they were different,' the twins' mother Helen said during an interview on Australian Story on Monday.
'They never really sucked properly on a bottle, they used to scream a lot, they were floppy babies - they didn't sit up until they were about probably 15 months old.'
Their dad, John, shared: 'We could never work out what it was. We took them to doctors and they were in hospital. They just had that many problems and we couldn't, didn't know what to do about it … neither did the doctors.'
The twins started out at a specialist school that helped with speech therapy, and later moved into a mainstream school where they encountered students who made their lives difficult.
'High school was very, very hard for them. As they got older their heart problems started
kicking in. A lot of girls used to give them a hard time about not having boyfriends, asking if they were having it off with one another.'
They left school in year 10 and moved to the Sunshine Coast, where everything started to fall into place when their love of all things wildlife flourished, giving them a new purpose in life. Paula and Bridgette have since established a non profit animal shelter dedicated to caring for sick and injured birds.
Their close friend, Claire Smith, said that the twins' love for sea birds has driven them all these years.
'Twinnies suffer with a lot of debilitating illnesses, but the birds keep them going,' she said.
'We've got osteoporosis already and got heart problems, and we've got stomach problems, but we just go from one day to the next,' shared Bridgette.
Paula added that the pair struggle with seeing each other struggling.
'It's hard watching my twin sister with that angry, kind of sad face when she's in pain. And it's hard for my twin sister to see me sick.'
The twins admitted that it's their health issues that will eventually force them to stop dedicating their lives to saving birds in need.
'We do feel like we're going to fall off our perch,' they shared, revealing their plans for their rescue centre should they not find a suitable replacement to take over: 'We'll knock everything down and turn it into wetlands where birds can fly in and out and they'll be safe'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Telegraph
an hour ago
- Daily Telegraph
Julia Savage talks 12-day filming schedule on new Aussie miniseries Mix Tape
Don't miss out on the headlines from TV. Followed categories will be added to My News. Aussie actress Julia Savage is just 18 years old, but already she has marked more than a decade in the industry. The teenager has a Best Actress AACTA nomination under her belt for her incredible performance in the 2022 psychological drama Blaze, and has starred opposite leading Australian actors Simon Baker and Guy Pearce. Savage will now appear alongside fellow AACTA nominee Teresa Palmer and British actor Jim Sturgess in the upcoming four-part Aussie miniseries Mix Tape, which premieres on BINGE on June 12. And even though she began acting at seven years old, starring on hits such as The Clearing and Mr Inbetween, the young star doesn't take any of it for granted and is always ready to give it her all. Julia Savage stars in the upcoming Binge Original Series Mix Tape. Picture: LisaThe 18-year-old has been in the acting industry since she was seven years old. Picture:'Every time I'm on a set and I'm lucky enough to be invited to come on, I'm so grateful,' she told from the Sydney set. 'I've been very lucky to grow up in an environment surrounded by adults who are validating me in my craft and following creative physics pursuits and my passions. But sets are my favourite place in the world. It's something I'm very lucky to be able to do at the level and with the people that I do.' In Mix Tape, Palmer and Sturgess play former 80s high-school sweethearts Alison and Daniel who are now living in Sydney and Sheffield, respectively, but reconnect in the modern world through songs from their shared past. Stream Mix Tape on BINGE from June 12, available on Hubbl. The cast of Mix Tape (from left to right) Ben Lawson, Julia Savage, Teresa Palmer, Jim Sturgess, Chika Ikogwe and Jacqueline McKenzie filmed for 12 days in Sydney and the Southern Highlands. Photo credit BINGE Savage plays Alison's daughter Stella, who triggers her memories about Daniel. And when a chance encounter brings the former flames together after 20 years, they are forced to confront their past. Savage and Palmer filmed intensely for 12 days in Sydney and the NSW Southern Highlands before production on the Lucy Gaffy-directed film moved to Dublin, Ireland. The filming schedule was intense, but Savage was ready to do the hard work on the miniseries, which is based on the critically acclaimed novel of the same name by Jane Sanderson. Filming of the flashback scenes then took place in Dublin with Rory Walton-Smith and Florence Hunt playing the younger versions of Palmer and Sturgess' characters. Photo: Binge 'It has been a whirlwind, but it's been amazing. I just take it one day at a time every day and do the best I can do,' Savage said. 'I think in an industry where the projects you create can't go forward without every single person giving their 100 per cent, it's so important to remember that this really is the most collaborative kind of art you can make and it's the most labour-intensive art you can make. 'I think remembering that and remembering that everyone here is doing a job and they're all here to make art and make something beautiful.' Sturgess and Palmer play high school sweethearts Daniel and Alison who reconnect through songs from their past. Picture: Binge Young Alison (Hunt) and Daniel (Walton-Smith) fall in love as teenagers before life takes them in different directions. Picture: Supplied Naturally, Palmer – a soon to be mum-of-five – took Savage under her wing on set and the young star can't sing her praises enough. 'Teresa is one of the most beautiful people inside and out. She's really a ray of sunshine. She always makes me laugh on set,' Savage said. 'In terms of having to play mother-daughter, it's always felt very easy with Theresa. It's never felt there was anything forced and there was always just this amazing sense of trust between us and I'm really grateful to have had that.' Savage puts on an incredible performance as Palmer's troubled daughter Stella in the miniseries. Picture: Binge Palmer's Alison is triggered by Stella's circumstances and grows nostalgic of her life with Daniel. Picture: Binge And it's not just Palmer who has given Savage some sage advice on set. The rising star says Simon Baker was a great father-figure three years ago when they filmed Blaze, where she played a young girl who, after witnessing a violent event summons an imaginary dragon to help her process her trauma. 'When I worked with him on Blaze, he was very nurturing as my father,' she said. 'I've learned a lot of amazing things from the actors I've worked with. They've given me lots of life lessons, especially to do with my craft. I really take with me things like pause, take your time and to not think about what's going on around me and just do what I'm here to do.' Savage and Simon Baker in the 2022 film Blaze, which earned her a Best Actress nomination at the AACTAs. Picture: Causeway films 'It's been very validating, especially in an industry where I'm usually the youngest person on set, to have older actors trusting me and trusting what I'm doing and helping me to do the work.' Despite her success at such a young age, Savage says she has faced her fair share of criticism. But she drowns out the noise by surrounding herself with the right people. 'I'm younger, so there's obviously a little bit of scepticism regarding whether I'm happy doing what I'm doing,' she said. 'I can attest to the fact that I definitely love this job, but it's definitely something that you learn to deal with. 'But everyone's been super supportive. It's amazing to have such a strong foundation of support, be it on crew, be it your family, be it your friends. It's a very valuable thing to have.' Mix Tape premieres Thursday, June 12 at 8:30pm on BINGE, available on Hubbl and watch On Demand on Foxtel Originally published as Rising star Julia Savage talks 'whirlwind' 12-day filming schedule on new Aussie miniseries Mix Tape
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
‘Lost': The Project stars Sarah Harris and Waleed Aly awkwardly bid farewell to the axed Channel 10 show
The stars of The Project appeared heartbroken as they opened Monday night's episode confirming news that the show has been cancelled by Channel 10. After reports emerged on Friday, Network 10 finally announced its decision to axe the long-running panel show on Monday morning alongside statements from some of the show's most popular hosts. Monday night's episode of the show opened up with Waleed Aly, Steve Price, Sarah Harris and Sam Taunton appearing noticeably more tense than usual while they shared their feelings about their time on the show. '16 years is an incredibly long time for a TV show and so many people contributed,' said Aly. 'Kim who is operating Camera Three and it is a great shot. She's doing a wonderful job. This is the way things work. A huge shout-out to our viewers as well. He continued: 'This isn't goodbye, we will see you again more over the next few weeks, but I know and everyone who has worked on the show know these are the best viewers in Australia. It has been a privilege to serve you.' A visibly emotional Sarah Harris told her co-stars that she feels nothing but 'grateful' for being part of such an Australian TV institution. 'I am so grateful that I got to sit on this desk and play TV with all of you. It has been such a fun thing to do, but it is the people who make a show and The Project isn't just the people on this desk, it is the cast and crew behind the scenes.' She continued: 'They're the real stars. I'm talking, producers, editors and cameramen and women and the floor crew, the people in the control room, the director and the hair and make-up team, all of them who work their guts out every night, six nights a week to get us on air.' Monday night guest host Steve Price said he doesn't know how he's going to get by without his role on the show. 'This is the best crew of people I worked with. I was 55 when I started here. I'm now 70, that's 15 years. How an old fat guy like me can survive, I don't know.' said the outspoken star. 'Melbourne has lost an incredible investment in its culture. People who come out with music bands and have written books and were actors, they will lose the opportunity to be able to talk about their products. It won't be able to be done anywhere else. I'll miss it. I don't know what I'll do on Monday nights.' Network Ten confirmed that the last day on air will be Friday, June 27. The network also revealed its reshuffled evening line-up, with game show Deal or No Deal moving to 7pm and 'the launch of a new national one-hour 6pm news, current affairs and insights program six days a week to complement 10s one-hour 5pm local news bulletins.' 'As a result of the changes, The Project will air for the last time on Friday, June 27, ending an incredible run of almost 16 years and more than 4,500 episodes,' Ten said in the statement. The network's detailed statement also praised the long-running current affairs show for its Logie wins and campaigning on various social issues.
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Network Ten axes The Project after 16 years on air
Network Ten has officially axed the current affairs program The Project amid dwindling ratings. After nearly 4,500 episodes and almost 16 years on air, the final show will be broadcast on June 27. Hosts Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris, and Hamish McDonald will reportedly leave the network.
