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Seperated at Birth, These Three Brothers Weren’t Ready To Discover The Secret Behind It All

The Gap in Triplets Brotherhood

When the triplets reached their 30s, they realized that the things that were common between them were mostly superficial. Therefore, this created a rift between the three brothers. They were arguing and getting angry at each other over small things. However, when their families were asked about this, they explained that the boys argued as kids as well.

They also noticed that they were having trouble accepting each other’s flaws. The families believed that since brothers were raised apart, they didn’t have a chance to know each other. Now, this would be a potential reason for their gap.

First Day of College

Bobby Shafran, a 19 years old young man, was ready to enter a new phase of life. He got admission into the New York Community college and was very much excited about it. Even though Bobby was not a popular guy during his days as a high school student, he wanted to make his college days memorable.

Like any other person, Bobby also hoped for new opportunities to knock at his door and believed life will be good now. Moreover, he was excited to witness this new world with new people. So, he drove there for his first day as a freshman with a bright smile on his face.

Too Friendly People

Whether you get into a new school, a new college, or even get a new job, it is natural for people to be nice and warm. Well, these are the basic etiquettes. While it was difficult for Bobby to adjust to a new environment since he was shy, he was looking forward to new experiences.

When Bobby got out of his car, he noticed people being extra nice to him. While some guys were greeting him with high-fives, girls greeted him with friendly smiles and hugs. Even though Bobby had just met these kind strangers, it seemed like they were already his friends!

Eddy! Who?

Imagine going to a place for the very first time and notice people being extra nice to you. Wouldn’t that be weird? Well, it was the same for Bobby. He was new to the campus and didn’t know what path led to which place. He couldn’t even find his dorm without help!

While people around him were too friendly, he also noticed another unusual thing; they were calling him “Eddy.” It was truly bizarre for him, but Bobby didn’t feel like correcting them as shy as he was. On the way to the dorm, countless people had addressed him with a different name and even asked him about his summer holidays. Bobby had zero clue about what was going on.

The Strange Truth

Soon Bobby reached his dorm and started unpacking his bags. He was trying to adjust his clothes and other belongings when he heard a knock. Bobby saw a stranger at the door, and the moment the guy spoke, Bobby started feeling uncomfortable. Moreover, he asked a very personal question which made Bobby wonder how an unknown person could ask this!

The stranger asked him if he was adopted. Bobby was taken aback and immediately said yes. He then asked if he celebrates his birthday on July 12. Bobby again answered with a yes. The next thing the stranger revealed to Bobby was that he had a twin brother.

Revelation

As soon as the stranger revealed the big truth, Bobby was completely shocked. The stranger at Bobby’s door was Michael, a good friend of Eddy, the same name that the other people on the campus used to address Bobby. Both Michael and Eddy were good friends and used to study together. In fact, Michael knew that Eddy wouldn’t be coming back to the college.

So both of them hurried to the telephone booth to call Eddy. Over the phone call, they discovered that they have the exact date of birth; both were adopted from the same adoption agency named Louise Wise Services. It was certainly spooky!

A Road Trip

Bobby, at this very moment, knew that his world had changed. A minute ago, he wasn’t aware that he had a twin brother, and now suddenly, he had this person in his life who was somehow very, very important. After the phone call, both Michael and Bobby rushed towards the car and drove to Long Island to meet Eddy. There were millions of questions in Bobby’s head.

They drove fast. In fact, the car was shaking at a hundred miles per hour. Bobby was excited to meet Eddy. They even got a ticket for speeding, and the cops didn’t buy the reason. But nothing could stop them, and they didn’t care if they got another speeding ticket for what they were doing was huge!

The Reunion

Bobby and Michael drove at high speed for two hours straight and finally reached their destination. The moment they reached Long Island, they began to look for Eddy’s address. After a while, they were finally standing in front of his house. Bobby was nervous yet excited.

He walked towards the house and knocked at Eddy’s door. The door opened, and he felt like he was staring into a mirror. Eddy and Bobby looked exactly the same. They moved simultaneously, nodded, and smiled at each other at the same time. From their features to their body language, everything felt the same.

The First Chapter

Bobby knew that he would remember this day even after several years and remember how his world changed within minutes. However, when he saw Eddy, his eyes were fixated on him, and it was just the two of them. The twin brothers who met each other under strange circumstances knew that they were related and felt an instant connection.

Since the brothers met after two decades, it was time for others to know this amazing story. And soon, the saga of their reunion started getting worldwide attention. Their story was published in every newspaper. However, it was just the first chapter!

Another Brother

Another twist in the story came when a regular boy saw the article. For David Kellman, it was an ordinary day until his friend came to him with the New York Post. The newspaper had an article about the twin brothers who met for the first time. David read the article and saw the photo, and was dumbfounded. The twin brothers had another identical brother!

When David realized that the twin brothers looked like him, he immediately went home holding the New York Post in his hand. His mother was already waiting for him. They cross-checked every minor detail, and surprisingly everything fell in place.

A conversation at Eddy’s Home

From the date of David’s birth to the name of the adoption agency, his mother checked everything. It felt like every piece of the puzzle was falling to the right place. It was surprising for David, whose life changed drastically the minute he saw the newspaper. David managed to take out Eddy’s phone number. He called, and Eddy’s mom picked him up.

David explained that he saw the newspaper and also cross-checked his birth date. He said that he was shocked the moment he looked at the picture. David further said that might be the third identical brother. For a moment, both of them were silent, and Eddy’s mom’s first words were, “My goodness, they’re coming out of the woodwork!”

The Triplets

The three identical brothers met after 19 years. This was the first time they knew about each other. They shared the same features and body structure. In fact, it looked like they were a duplicate of each other.

In a matter of a few seconds, they felt an instant connection, like there was no introduction required. Well, why would they even need an introduction? They even shared the same hobbies! It was like having three scoops of your favorite ice cream together. Their families were also pretty excited about this. They noticed how common these three young men were even though different families raised them.

Triplets became a Media Sensation

After the NY Post published an article about the twin brothers, another article was published. It was about the triplets, which instantly helped them gain a lot of attention. In fact, each day, hundreds of people gathered together just to look at the triplets.

They became a hot topic, and several well-established newspapers and magazines featured them. This included Time magazine, People magazine, Good Housekeeping, and The New York Times. Moreover, they also featured in different television shows. People were excited to know more about them, but they were also unaware of the dark truth, just like the boys.

Too Many Similarities

The triplets were invited to different television shows. However, each time the interviewers kept asking the same questions. For example, they asked them about their hobbies and if they share similar behavioral traits. As an answer, the brothers revealed that they had almost everything in common. From following the same routine every day to having the same taste in women, these brothers were pretty much alike.

It is so strange to think that triplets who were separated at birth, grew up in different families, and never knew each other shared the same habits. But, most importantly, all three of them had an older sister who was adopted. This is quite an important detail to remember to take the story further.

About the Families of Triplets

Since the brothers had a lot in common, it was worth finding more about the three families. Well, first things first, all of them were adopted by people belonging to different backgrounds. Bobby grew up in an upper-class family, Eddy in a middle-class family, and David in a working-class family.

After everyone found out about their truth, each family was happy that their kid is connected to someone who is related to them. But, they were also suspicious since the adoption agency never mentioned anything about the triplets.

The Million Questions

Now, everyone from the boys’ family wanted to know the reason for their separation. In addition to that, they were also questioning the agency’s credibility. To know more, the brothers arranged a meeting with the management of the agency they were adopted from. Finally, it was time to question Louise Wise Services.

The three brothers started interrogating the agency, and the management confirmed that they were triplets and were adopted by three different families. They explained that there wasn’t a single family who wanted to adopt the three boys together. Therefore, this was the main reason behind their separation.

Strange Feeling

After coming out of the building, Bobby’s father realized that he forgot his umbrella. So he went back to the room where he left it and saw something unusual. The management at Louise Wise Services was celebrating and raising a toast. It felt like they won a lottery!

However, Bobby’s father couldn’t really understand what was happening, but somehow something didn’t feel right. At that moment, he decided to ignore his gut feeling and quickly grabbed his umbrella to rush back home. Even though Bobby’s father couldn’t figure out what was happening, all of this will come back to him, and he will eventually take out the true meaning.

Media Attention

Even though the triplets didn’t get all the answers, one thing was clear, they were related by blood. Additionally, they enjoyed every bit of love and attention they were receiving from the people who were aware of their story.

Bobby, Eddy, and David were invited to different talk/reality shows. This further added up to their fame and glory. In one incident, the three brothers were spotted on the street by famous director Susan Seidelman who offered them to play a role in her movie. Well, this is how they shared the screen with the well-known celebrity Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan in 1985.

The Big Storm

With their bond growing stronger each day, Bobby, Eddy, and David partied together, vacationed together, and even lived together. Surprisingly, they made sure to accompany each other on dates. Apart from that, they were handling a business together.

After a while, the boys started getting serious about their love life and decided to settle down one by one. It didn’t take Bobby, Eddy, and David to get engaged and married to beautiful women. The boys and their families were inseparable, so they decided to live together even after getting married. However, nothing lasts forever, and they were soon going to realize this.

Private Research

When journalist Lawrence Wright was working on a piece for The New Yorker about identical twins reared apart, he learned of the existence of a controversial “secret study” that had never been published.

It said that identical babies were separated from their twin and sent to different homes for a scientific experiment. What shocked him further was that this was being handled by the same adoption agency – Louise Wise Services. Since the story of the triplets had already gained a lot of media attention, Wright knew that all three brothers had already made contact with each other. However, he went on to meet Bobby and told him everything.

Real Reason, Real Truth

It’s hard to imagine that someone would lead your life for you; it sounds like a bad dream. But these triplets found out the truth about their whole lives, and the reality of what had happened almost killed them. The adoption agency was responsible for separating them all with no intention in mind other than money or profit-making schemes.

Bobby, Eddy, and David were separated when they were just six months old. The triplets felt hurt that they were being treated like lab rats. In fact, they had no idea they were being observed until now. The scientists just wanted to see how children behave in different environments.

Flashbacks

After hearing the truth, the brothers were heartbroken. Anyone would be! They realized that they were being monitored right from their childhood. Suddenly, it felt like all the pieces of the puzzle were falling right into place. The triplets recalled how different men and women came in to evaluate them at different times of the year.

David remembered that the people who usually came to monitor them make notes on every action. They would take personality tests, IQ tests, Rorschach inkblot tests. Not only that, but they even filmed them playing or doing any activity.

Parents Had No Idea

The parents of the triplets were aware that people visited their adopted babies to test their activities and behaviors. The adoption agency told each family that they would be studied as a part of this regular study, observing how well an adopted child develops in different environments.

However, they had no idea that they would be studying each of the brother’s personalities one by one. Doing the same test and observation, taking notes on each child for comparison. Thanks to Eddy’s friend Michael who found out about his twin brother Eddy!

Everything was Planned

It was all a big plan. The researchers who came in to observe the babies had another task: they were also observing the parents of each child. This implies that triplets were intentionally placed into their families for research purposes – not random happenstance like most people believe!

The agency knew these families and their backgrounds. They were planning the babies’ lives from day one because of observation- but they had already given away a girl child to them before giving out triplets. With each brother came an older sister, raised together in this family that was looking for two kids at once.

Just for Experiment

The dynamics of all three families were very different from each other. Bobby was placed in a wealthy household where his father worked as a doctor who barely had time to spend with him. However, he nurtured Bobby dearly with whatever little time he had. On the other hand, David was sent into a working-class home and wasn’t able to enjoy the luxuries that came along with having rich parents. However, his father was always there for him and was his son’s biggest fan.

Talking about Eddy, he was placed into a middle-class family. His father was strict and traditional when it came to discipline.

The Real Person behind the Research

The journalist who revealed that the separation of six-month-old triplets was intentional, Lawrence Wright, came in contact with the main person behind it. Dr. Peter Neubauer was the person who planned this all for an experiment. He was an Austrian refugee who became a known psychiatrist in New York.

Dr. Peter was obsessed with the identical twin/triplet study and dedicated his life to being a child psychiatrist. He was the person who planned this act. Although, he never published his research. Dr. Peter Neubauer passed away in 2008, but Yale University collected all his research in their Library, sealed until October 25, 2065.

Strange Interview

Lawrence was able to contact Dr. Peter Neubauer while he was still alive, but it wasn’t easy! When Lawrence asked about his research on the phone call, all Dr. Peter would say is that there were many kids involved, and they received a lot of money from a private family foundation. He refused to talk more or explain why so much secrecy surrounded his study even when talking over the telephone line!

Dr. Peter also said he got money from Washington, but in the end, they stopped funding it because of how expensive things were getting.

Interesting Study

After Dr. Peter put so much effort into his study, he never published the research! Why? He must have found something interesting, and it was probably not what other researchers had been expecting him to find because they didn’t publish anything either after reading his findings. What did he discover that made this such a rare case of interest?

Moreover, Bobby, David, and Eddy were also interesting subjects because they were all raised by different families with different backgrounds. In addition, it was also important to observe the behavior of each kid once they grow up into an adult.

The Findings Were Shocking

Lawrence Wright was the person who uncovered Dr. Peter’s research and the secret study that he never published, which involved separating triplets into different environments for experimentation without their knowledge or consent. On a side note, Lawrence had thoughts on why this didn’t happen – Dr. Peter himself may have been very surprised by what he found in the experiments; enough to not want it out there at all costs!

The journalist also believed that Dr. Peter was a child psychiatrist, and his work concludes on the things our experiences shape us – but why if it’s not true or might be partial?

No Conclusion

Dr. Peter was stuck on his reasoning for the research, saying twins raised apart in different families will have different personalities as well. But it turns out that he went a bit off track with this one! His three test subjects were very similar to each other despite being raised in separate households.

Moreover, the dynamics and the background of the families were also different. Thus, Dr. Peter believed twins raised apart would have a family influence and different personalities. But it seems his research and ideas went wrong. Therefore he never concluded the study and was afraid to publish the research.

Close to Finding the Truth

The whole true story could come out in public if one could get access to Dr. Peter’s research in Yale Library. From the day they got to know about it, Bobby and David were after it. They were eager to find all the answers. Luckily, with the help of an attorney, Bobby and David were able to get access to the research of Dr. Peter.

However, instead of the whole research, only a few findings were disclosed to them. But it wasn’t enough to answer all their questions. Additionally, it seemed like Eddy wasn’t much interested in knowing the truth. He also decided not to enter the library.

The Gap in Triplets Brotherhood

When the triplets reached their 30s, they realized that the things that were common between them were mostly superficial. Therefore, this created a rift between the three brothers. They were arguing and getting angry at each other over small things. However, when their families were asked about this, they explained that the boys argued as kids as well.

They also noticed that they were having trouble accepting each other’s flaws. The families believed that since brothers were raised apart, they didn’t have a chance to know each other. Now, this would be a potential reason for their gap.

When Bobby Left

The three brothers were united in business and love until Bobby felt like he was being pushed out. David and Eddy both took it hard, on the other hand, but Eddy seemed to take it hardest of all when his brother left him for good.

Eddy was close to Bobby, which saddened him the most after Bobby left. The family member justified Eddy’s sadness by saying that his father had a rough relationship with him and he was strict. Another reason was that as soon as Eddy met his brothers, he began to share an intimate bond with them. This clearly affected his mental health.

The Sad Tragedy

Eddy showcased major changes in his behavior after Bobby left. As he had a hard time dealing with the situation, Eddy’s behavior became more unstable day by day. Later on, he was diagnosed with manic depression, which today is popularly known as bipolar disorder.

His family said that Eddy’s behavior was getting worse. He showcased different emotions, which kept changing within minutes. It got so bad that he even got admitted to the hospital for three weeks. Everybody believed that his condition had improved. For weeks he seemed fine until he took his own life.

The Unknown Similarities

Bobby, Eddy, and David were mentally disturbed, and no one took them seriously. If we rewind the story, the triplets once revealed that they had a hard time as teenagers. David even stated that he spent his 16th birthday in a psych ward. In addition, his other two brothers were also kept in a psychiatric ward when they were teenagers.

Seeing this as a similarity, one can judge that Dr. Peter was researching the DNA of the triplets with mental health stability. After investigating the research further, it was found that Bobby, David, and Eddy were not the only babies separated at birth for this study.

They were not the Only Ones

Lawerence Wright published his article in the 1990s and revealed the truth about the triplets’ separation. However, due to his hard work, another set of twins were discovered. The new twins were also separated at birth and raised in different families. The twins were also a part of the study, and their life was all planned out too.

Paula Bernstein and Elyse Schein were twin sisters who reunited at the age of 35. Reading the Wright article, the twin sisters also learned that they too have many similarities between them, just like the triplets. They could have never imagined the similarities they shared, despite being raised apart.

Twin Sisters Family

Without a doubt, Paula and Elyse shared similarities, not just in looks but with respect to manners as well. Apart from facial features and manners, the habits of the twin sisters were also the same. They were editors in high school and also later went to film school. Later on, they got to know that they both were suffering from depression.

They also learned that their birth mom was suffering from a mental disorder. However, she was intelligent with an equally high IQ. While she was smart, she was also frequently hospitalized. It is believed that she was suffering from schizophrenia.

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