John and Jennifer Gibbons, also known as the "Silent Twins," were born in 1963 in Aden to parents Gloria and Aubrey. The twins were extremely close and developed their own language, but they refused to speak to anyone outside of their family, including their parents, and had no interest in interacting with the outside world.
As they grew older, their behavior became increasingly strange, and they were eventually sent to a high-security hospital for the mentally ill, where they spent 12 years. During this time, they were given high doses of antipsychotic medication, which impaired their vision.
The twins began to write short stories and poetry, which were discovered by journalist Marjorie Wallace. She became fascinated by their work and began to visit them, eventually gaining their trust.
In 1993, the twins were transferred to a lower-security clinic, where Jennifer suddenly died at the age of 29. Her death was attributed to a large tumor around her heart, but the cause remains a mystery.
After Jennifer's death, John began to speak and interact with the outside world. She wrote in her diary that she and Jennifer had made a pact to remain silent and that Jennifer's death was a liberation for her.
John was eventually released from the clinic and went on to live a normal life. She was reunited with her family and began to speak publicly about her experiences. She revealed that she and Jennifer had made a conscious decision to remain silent and that their unique bond had been both a source of strength and a prison.
The story of the Silent Twins is a fascinating and tragic one, highlighting the complexities of the human psyche and the power of twin bonding.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. John and Jennifer Gibbons were born in a military hospital in Aden in the spring of 1963.
2. The twins were born prematurely.
3. Their parents were Gloria and Aubrey Gibbons.
4. The twins did not develop speech skills as they grew up.
5. Despite not speaking, the twins seemed to communicate with each other in their own language.
6. The twins were inseparable and had difficulty interacting with the outside world.
7. The twins' father recalled that they made sounds at home, but it was difficult to call it speech.
8. The twins began to attract attention from their peers in elementary school, who made fun of them.
9. The twins' language became incomprehensible to others as they reached adolescence.
10. The twins were unable to read or write and repeated each other's actions.
11. In 1974, the twins were examined by a doctor named John Reece, who noticed strange behavior.
12. The twins were referred to a child psychologist, but attempts at psychotherapy were unsuccessful.
13. In 1977, a speech therapist named Trahern worked with the twins, but they still refused to talk.
14. The twins began to write stories and published them through a self-publishing company.
15. The twins' stories were strange and disturbing, reflecting their unusual behavior.
16. As the twins reached adulthood, they began to experiment with drugs and alcohol and committed petty crimes.
17. In 1981, the twins were arrested for arson and later ended up in a high-security hospital for the mentally ill.
18. The twins were given high doses of antipsychotic medication, which impaired their vision.
19. The twins spent 12 years in the hospital, during which time they kept a diary.
20. After 12 years, the twins were transferred to a clinic with a lower level of security.
21. One of the twins, Jennifer, died in 1993 at the age of 29 due to inflammation of the heart.
22. After Jennifer's death, her twin sister John began to communicate with others and was eventually discharged from the clinic.
23. John began to live a normal life and was no longer silent.
24. A journalist named Marjorie Wallace studied the twins' lives and wrote about their story.
25. Marjorie discovered that the twins had a complex and troubled relationship, with Jennifer dominating and controlling John.
26. The twins' diaries revealed that they had a deep-seated desire to escape their silence and live a normal life.
27. Jennifer's death remains a mystery, with some speculation that it was related to the medication she was given.
28. John wrote in her diary that she had made an agreement with Jennifer to be silent and that Jennifer's death was a liberation for her.
29. John has since spoken publicly about her experiences and has written a book about her life with Jennifer.