Book Review: The Power of Two: A Twin Triumph over Cystic Fibrosis

By Susan M. Heim

Imagine giving birth to beautiful identical twin girls, only to find out soon afterward that they are both afflicted with a terminal illness: cystic fibrosis (CF). That is what happened to Reiner and Hatsuko Stenzel when their daughters, Isabel and Anabel, were born in 1972. It was an incredible shock, especially since the odds were extremely small, considering their ancestry, that their children could have CF. One in 25 people of Northern European descent, like German-born Reiner, carry the gene for CF, but people of Asian descent, like Japanese-born Hatsuko, rarely do. Both parents must be CF carriers for their children to have the disease. Their firstborn child, a son named Ryuta, had been born perfectly healthy. But their beloved twins failed to dodge the CF bullet.

Today, Isabel and Anabel have triumphed over CF through the gift of lung transplants. Although the gene for CF was discovered in 1989, lung transplantation remains the only "cure" for CF. And it is a highly imperfect cure. Of all the types of organ transplants that can be performed, lung transplants have one of the lowest success rates. Only 50 percent of lung recipients are alive five years after their transplants. Isa and Ana have celebrated their victory over CF by living life at full-speed. They've both acquired advanced degrees, established successful careers, traveled the world, competed in transplant games, fallen in love, and shared their story in their powerful memoir, The Power of Two: A Twin Triumph over Cystic Fibrosis.

Their book is a fascinating account of life with cystic fibrosis, the twin bond, and the influence of cultural differences on family dynamics. So few people know what it's really like to grow up with CF: the extensive daily regimen of chest percussion and drug therapy, the numerous and lengthy hospitalizations, the constant medical scrutiny. Over and over again, Isa and Ana watched their friends with CF die, bringing home the reality that they were in the same line. Nonetheless, they felt blessed having CF together. Often hospitalized at the same time, they could share their pain and experiences, as well as help each other with therapy when they were home. Still, the twins' constant need for care took a toll on the family. Their parents' marriage became heavily strained, their mother suffered from depression, and their older brother went through a rebellious stage. The family struggled to maintain a sense of normalcy.

The Power of Two is a beautifully written book that will amaze you with its brutal honesty, move you to tears, and inspire you to count your blessings. The remarkable Stenzel twins have an extraordinary lesson to teach us all: never give up, live life to the fullest, and don't take the incredible gift of breath for granted. Their story will linger in your heart long after you've closed this book.