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American Morning

Interview With Twins Separated at Birth

Aired March 06, 2003 - 08:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: You no doubt have heard many stories about twins separated at birth and reunited later on in life, but probably none like this one. Two college students discover they are actually twins, not after years of looking for each other, but through mutual friends. They and their adopted mothers join us now with a remarkable story. Adriana Scott and her mother Diane, and Tamara Rabi and her mother Judy.
Good morning.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.

ZAHN: Have you even gotten used to this news, the fact that you have a sister that you didn't even know you had?

ADRIANA SCOTT, COLLEGE STUDENT: I getting more comfortable with it. We're getting to know each other more, and find more things about each other. It's good.

ZAHN: Tell us how this happened.

TAMARA RABI, COLLEGE STUDENT: Well, I missed my birthday. I was away, out of the country for my birthday. And when I came back, my roommates threw a little party for me, and they invited one of my friends, who brought one of his friends. And the minute he walked in the room and saw me, he was Oh, my God, I know a girl who looks just like you. I was like, OK, that's nice.

And he kept pushing it. And I was like, All right. Then he was like, Well, her birthday was last week. I was like, Well, mine was too. And he goes, Oh, but she was born in Mexico. I said, Well, I was too. But she was adopted. I said, Well, me too. And then so, the next day, this boy was talking to her online and we exchanged screen names, and we just started talking from there.

ZAHN: And then -- we are going to show some pictures right now of what the two of you looked like as you were growing up. And of course, the resemblance is uncanny, and it shouldn't be because you were, in fact, twins. But describe to us what happened when you saw each other for the first time.

A. SCOTT: Actually, I was scared. I came with one of my friends. He drove me there. And driving there, I'm like, let's just turn around. I don't want to do this. Forget it. Forget the whole thing, forget this ever happened. I want to go. But he's like, No, you made it this far, we're going. And then, when I met her, she already saw what I looked like, because I sent her a picture of me through e-mail, but I never saw her.

So she was kind of already in, like, the mood for it. When I saw her, I just stopped, my whole world stopped and I like hid behind my friend because I couldn't deal with this.

ZAHN: Was it like looking in a mirror.

A. SCOTT: Yes. What was so scary about it, though, she looks like me before I dyed my hair. But it's...

ZAHN: This has got to have been such a whirlwind for both you, Diane and Judy. Which of the two of you knew that there was a twin?

DIANE SCOTT, ADRIANA'S ADOPTIVE MOTHER: I did.

ZAHN: You did? You actually tried to adopt both girls in Guadalajara...

D. SCOTT: Yes.

ZAHN: ... and it didn't work out?

D. SCOTT: No.

ZAHN: In the years that elapsed after that, how pained were you that you didn't have the ability to bring the other twin home, and how conflicted were you about telling your daughter that she had a twin?

D. SCOTT: It was very painful, and it was always very nerve wracking because I was always afraid somehow or other, she might find out. I didn't know how she would react when she found out. And there was no way to find Tamara, so I never wanted to tell her until the time came that I absolutely had to, maybe, for some reason.

ZAHN: And, Judy, you were suffering a loss of your own. You had just lost your husband to cancer, and going through a real painful period when you got this news. What was your immediate reaction? Did you think it was true?

JUDY RABI, TAMARA'S ADOPTIVE MOTHER: Well, you know, Tamara had been telling me about what was happening the week before I met Adriana. And I have to admit that I was somewhat skeptical -- about it all. Tamara told me that they were born the same day, they were both born in Mexico. And yet still in all, it was difficult for me to take that in. But when Adriana walked through the door on that Sunday, it was amazing.

(CROSSTALK)

ZAHN: Like having a second daughter come home?

J. RABI: It was like having a second -- just the other day, I was talking to a friend. Instead of saying "my daughter," I said "my daughters." ZAHN: That's great.

J. RABI: So we've had an opportunity, as I was telling you before, to kind of get to know each other a little bit, and that's been wonderful.

ZAHN: Well, we appreciate you all dropping by to share your remarkable story. And I guess you got a lot to work through. One raised a Catholic, and the other raised a Jew. Both single children, right? Both have dogs, right? You both have the same nightmare, the same recurring nightmare?

Boy, a lot to share and relive. We wish you all the best of luck. And again, thanks for dropping by to share your story with us. A whole new family here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired March 6, 2003 - 08:52   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: You no doubt have heard many stories about twins separated at birth and reunited later on in life, but probably none like this one. Two college students discover they are actually twins, not after years of looking for each other, but through mutual friends. They and their adopted mothers join us now with a remarkable story. Adriana Scott and her mother Diane, and Tamara Rabi and her mother Judy.
Good morning.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good morning.

ZAHN: Have you even gotten used to this news, the fact that you have a sister that you didn't even know you had?

ADRIANA SCOTT, COLLEGE STUDENT: I getting more comfortable with it. We're getting to know each other more, and find more things about each other. It's good.

ZAHN: Tell us how this happened.

TAMARA RABI, COLLEGE STUDENT: Well, I missed my birthday. I was away, out of the country for my birthday. And when I came back, my roommates threw a little party for me, and they invited one of my friends, who brought one of his friends. And the minute he walked in the room and saw me, he was Oh, my God, I know a girl who looks just like you. I was like, OK, that's nice.

And he kept pushing it. And I was like, All right. Then he was like, Well, her birthday was last week. I was like, Well, mine was too. And he goes, Oh, but she was born in Mexico. I said, Well, I was too. But she was adopted. I said, Well, me too. And then so, the next day, this boy was talking to her online and we exchanged screen names, and we just started talking from there.

ZAHN: And then -- we are going to show some pictures right now of what the two of you looked like as you were growing up. And of course, the resemblance is uncanny, and it shouldn't be because you were, in fact, twins. But describe to us what happened when you saw each other for the first time.

A. SCOTT: Actually, I was scared. I came with one of my friends. He drove me there. And driving there, I'm like, let's just turn around. I don't want to do this. Forget it. Forget the whole thing, forget this ever happened. I want to go. But he's like, No, you made it this far, we're going. And then, when I met her, she already saw what I looked like, because I sent her a picture of me through e-mail, but I never saw her.

So she was kind of already in, like, the mood for it. When I saw her, I just stopped, my whole world stopped and I like hid behind my friend because I couldn't deal with this.

ZAHN: Was it like looking in a mirror.

A. SCOTT: Yes. What was so scary about it, though, she looks like me before I dyed my hair. But it's...

ZAHN: This has got to have been such a whirlwind for both you, Diane and Judy. Which of the two of you knew that there was a twin?

DIANE SCOTT, ADRIANA'S ADOPTIVE MOTHER: I did.

ZAHN: You did? You actually tried to adopt both girls in Guadalajara...

D. SCOTT: Yes.

ZAHN: ... and it didn't work out?

D. SCOTT: No.

ZAHN: In the years that elapsed after that, how pained were you that you didn't have the ability to bring the other twin home, and how conflicted were you about telling your daughter that she had a twin?

D. SCOTT: It was very painful, and it was always very nerve wracking because I was always afraid somehow or other, she might find out. I didn't know how she would react when she found out. And there was no way to find Tamara, so I never wanted to tell her until the time came that I absolutely had to, maybe, for some reason.

ZAHN: And, Judy, you were suffering a loss of your own. You had just lost your husband to cancer, and going through a real painful period when you got this news. What was your immediate reaction? Did you think it was true?

JUDY RABI, TAMARA'S ADOPTIVE MOTHER: Well, you know, Tamara had been telling me about what was happening the week before I met Adriana. And I have to admit that I was somewhat skeptical -- about it all. Tamara told me that they were born the same day, they were both born in Mexico. And yet still in all, it was difficult for me to take that in. But when Adriana walked through the door on that Sunday, it was amazing.

(CROSSTALK)

ZAHN: Like having a second daughter come home?

J. RABI: It was like having a second -- just the other day, I was talking to a friend. Instead of saying "my daughter," I said "my daughters." ZAHN: That's great.

J. RABI: So we've had an opportunity, as I was telling you before, to kind of get to know each other a little bit, and that's been wonderful.

ZAHN: Well, we appreciate you all dropping by to share your remarkable story. And I guess you got a lot to work through. One raised a Catholic, and the other raised a Jew. Both single children, right? Both have dogs, right? You both have the same nightmare, the same recurring nightmare?

Boy, a lot to share and relive. We wish you all the best of luck. And again, thanks for dropping by to share your story with us. A whole new family here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com