Uniquely IDENTICAL
As babies, no-one could tell Adam and Neil Pearson apart. Now, strangers struggle to believe they’re identical twins.
Just before they turned five, Adam knocked his head and the bump never went down.
Terrifyingly, a scan showed a tumour in his neck that was blocking his windpipe.
Tests revealed both brothers were born with the rare genetic condition called neurofibromatosis, which can cause swelling, lumps and memory issues.
While Neil escaped the growths, Adam became a target for bullies.
‘It was continuous namecalling – the classic Elephant Man, freak...’ he said.
Still, Neil hadn’t displayed any symptoms.
‘We thought he’d got away with it,’ his mum Marilyn said.
Then, at 14, the boys were on their way home from youth club when confusion struck Neil.
‘Where have we just been?’ he asked his twin.
At first, Adam thought he was joking. But, the genetic condition that had ravaged his brother’s face had stolen Neil’s short-term memory.
Now 32, both men have defied their diagnosis to achieve great things.
Neil’s a library assistant at a medical school. Keeping to a strict routine helps keep his memory in check. Adam has become a TV presenter and actor, even appearing with
Scarlett Johansson in Under The Skin.