Woman has a strange birthmark on her abdomen and decides to investigate: she discovers that it is the mark of a twin that was never born

There are many people who have a small birthmarks, a mole or some other benign blemish on their body. Whether it is large or small, this feature marks the bearer as special and unique. However, passing over the purely aesthetic impact, birthmarks could also be a symptom of a pathology - not necessarily a serious one, however. And this is the case of the woman we are about to talk to you about in this story.

Specifically, she bears the signs of an unborn twin on her body. How is this possible? Let's find out together:

via New York Post

The subject of this particular story is Taylor Muhl, a 33-year-old Californian singer and model who, in several interviews, described her particular birthmark condition. The woman, as can be seen from the photos shared on her social media accounts, has an extensive area of dark, pink pigmentation on her abdomen and back. Where does this come from? Taylor was intrigued by the size of her birthmark and, due to some health ailments that she has always suffered from, she decided to investigate the matter.

The response from her doctor was amazing because it turned out the underlaying cause was a twin that was never born. That's right. Technically, the following happened: when her mother conceived of Taylor, a twin pregnancy started up in her womb. Unfortunately, however, Taylor's twin never formed, but the DNA was merged with that of Taylor, giving rise to what is called chimerism. This is a rare pathology in which a living being - in this case, Taylor - presents the aspects of two different individuals. Sometimes it is noted in the difference in eye colors - perhaps one is blue and the other brown. In Taylor's case, the DNA merging resulted in the staining of her skin, in some areas, with a dark pink color.

Chimerism is very rare, and only 100 people in the world have these characteristics. Among these, most do not have any medical problems. Unfortunately, this is not the case with Taylor. She stated that every day she struggles with pains ranging from her neck to her toes and this does not make life easy for her. Despite this, she has decided not to take too many medicines, which she feels could even make the situation even worse.

When asked what she felt at the time of the discovery, the woman replied: "At first it was very strange and I was stunned, but then sadness set in: I could have grown up with a twin brother or a sister, but it never happened. Maybe it would have been nice to share my childhood with a sibling". Of course, the twin was never born, but he or she will always be with Taylor and they will always be inseparable.

Among other things, the discovery of this characteristic was a way to sensitize people towards the acceptance of physical defects. Taylor, as a model, could have felt uncomfortable about showing off her blemished torso, but, in fact, she is proud of it. And by going public, she also helps others to feel good about their own bodies. 

Did you know about this rare genetic phenomenon?