Brittany Daniel's Twin Sister Gives Her the Greatest Gift
After beating non-Hodgkin lymphoma, actress Brittany Daniel, 45, welcomed a healthy baby daughter via surrogacy, thanks to her twin sister’s donated egg.
Daniel was diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2011 and underwent R-CHOP chemotherapy to treat her disease; her lymphoma first presented as flu-like symptoms and back pain.
People fighting cancer may consider freezing their sperm or their eggs if they wish to have a family, as some cancer treatments can damage fertility.
Sweet Valley actress Brittany Daniel, 45, beat non-Hodgkin lymphoma and her twin sister Cynthia Daniel donated her eggs so Brittany and her partner, Adam Touni, could have a baby. That is a beautiful example of the incredible bond of sisterhood, and the joy that’s possible even after a cancer diagnosis.
In October 2021, the couple welcomed their daughter, aptly named Hope Rose Touni.
“I saw it as such a simple gift I could give to her,” says Cynthia. “I know Brittany would do it in a split second for me. And we’ve always shared everything, so why not this?” Brittany and Cynthia are identical twins, making the donor egg as close a match as possible to Brittany’s own eggs, which were negatively impacted by six months of chemotherapy. A fertility specialist told Daniel she had a limited egg reserve as a result.
Daniel with daughter Hope
After several unsuccessful rounds of IVF, Daniel and her partner decided to pursue surrogacy using her sister’s donated eggs, which led to the joyous birth of Hope last fall.
Brittany’s Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Battle
In 2011, Daniel went to see the doctor after having flu-like symptoms, along with back pain and night sweats. Following several tests, she was diagnosed with stage three non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
"My entire life stopped in an instant,” she wrote of the time she was diagnosed. The actress started chemotherapy treatment almost immediately and spent the following three months in and out of the hospital for treatment. "I learned what it really means to fight for your life,” she wrote. “I went through chemo. I lost 30 pounds and all of my hair. I was on a feeding tube. And, I suffered many life-threatening infections."
For treatment, Daniel underwent R-CHOP chemotherapy, which is the recommended treatment for many people diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Here's how the acronym breaks down:
-R: Rituximab (Rituxan) is a monoclonal antibody that attaches to a specific protein called CD20, which sits on the surface of B cells. It targets the cancerous cells and destroys them. -C: Cyclophosphamide is a type of chemotherapy drug -D: Doxorubicin hydrochloride (hydroxydaunomycin) is a type of chemotherapy drug -V: Vincristine sulfate (Oncovin) is a type of chemotherapy drug -P: Prednisone is a steroid, which lowers inflammation
In an earlier interview, Dr. Adrienne Phillips, an associate professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, explains R-CHOP chemo.
"So, a standard regimen for treatment of aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, of the b-cell subtype, is frequently abbreviated R-CHOP,” she says. “That combination is a standard for aggressive b-cell lymphomas. It's been the standard for many years. And there are certainly clinical trials that are looking to improve upon that standard and maybe add different medicines to the R-CHOP or remove some of the medicines to minimize toxicity, but R-CHOP is a standard for aggressive b-cell lymphomas."
Many people fighting cancers particularly cancers that affect reproductive parts, i.e. cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, testicular cancer choose to freeze their eggs or their sperm as a way to preserve their fertility prior to cancer treatment. Some cancer treatments can damage fertility, so it's a preventative measure for people who may want to have children.
In a previous interview, Dr. Jaime Knopman, a reproductive endocrinologist at CCRM NY, says that time is of the essence when it comes to fertility conversations with your doctor. She says, "The sooner we start, the sooner that patient can then go on and do their treatment. A lot of the success comes down to how old you are at the time you froze and the quality of the lab in which your eggs or embryos are frozen in."
"Oftentimes, we just do what we call a 'fast start,’" says Dr. Knopman. "We start them no matter where they are in their menstrual cycle. Because of that, it can sometimes take a bit longer than it would for traditional IVF stimulation. But all in, you're never really talking about more than two weeks."
