Boy Boucher

This year I’ll be 58. When my mum was 19 she got married and was already 3 months pregnant with my elder brother. Thinking while breastfeeding she couldn’t get pregnant, I was conceived and born 13 months later. April 13th 1958 at St Marys Hospital Armley Leeds England. I have now lived in Australia 25 years.

I didn’t find out until many years later that I had been a twin. Mum just said it was stillborn and that was the end of it.

I never saw her mourn and although we became very close, she never gave me the truth. After my mum died in 2007 my dad told me the twin was a boy. I had tried to get information from the hospital, but after over 50 years they didn’t have them. I always wanted a sister (I only have 3 brothers, it would have been 4), and have always been in twin minds over decisions ie this job or that, dressing girlie or tomboy etc.

The researching I did led me to be told that while my parents were alive, I couldn’t get my birth details without their written permission. Mum had died and dad would never give permission. Mum and dad just clammed up when I tried to get some scanty details. I’ve kind of given up hope (dad will be 80 this year) of getting any clear answers until my dad has passed away.

I hope the law changes so that people can get the info they need and not keep wishing hoping and missing their sibling and that the child is never forgotten.

Written by Sharon Moody, Boy’s twin sister