Long Island Woman Gives Birth to Twin Sister's Baby

Images via Allison Rose Photography

Mineola resident Dawn Ardolino Policastro didn’t even blink when she learned her identical twin sister, Allison Ardolino Dinkelacker, couldn’t have a second baby.

She immediately told doctors she would have one for her.

When Allison was 30 weeks pregnant in 2009 with her first child, Dylan, she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer and had to start chemotherapy immediately. She was able to deliver a healthy baby boy through an emergency C-section at 31 weeks.

“When Allison was diagnosed at such a young age and at a time in her life when she was the happiest, it was simply devastating,” Dawn said.

Although Dawn and Allison are identical, they have opposite personalities. “Allison is shyer, I am more outgoing,” Dawn said. “We have always said I have been her spokesperson. I do most of the talking for both of us.”

Now that they are married and have children, they’re still extremely close and live just three blocks from each other.

Dawn has two boys, Jake, age 7, and Ashton, age 3. Allison’s son is now 6 years old.

Allison is nearly six years cancer free, but because her cancer was brought on by hormones, she knew she could never get pregnant again.

Allison always wanted a complete family with one more child, but her health issues made it seem impossible.

Dawn came with Allison to one of her doctor’s appointments and they were told by an oncologist that if Allison survived this pregnancy, she would never be able to carry another child.

“Well before he even finished his sentence, Dawn jumped in and said, ‘It doesn’t matter because I am going to carry their child,’” Allison wrote on her Facebook page.

Without any research or knowing anyone who has been a gestational carrier, Dawn offered to carry her sister’s baby.

She gave birth to a healthy baby boy at 8:31 p.m. Aug. 5. Hudson William Dinkelacker weighed 8 pounds, 13 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.

“How can we begin to thank you for the tremendous generosity and sacrifice you have so willingly bestowed these last few months?” Allison wrote. “You have given us not just the fulfillment of a wish we’ve had for the last six years, but a whole new life, and a family of four we thought we’d never have.”

Throughout the pregnancy, Dawn kept the baby’s gender a secret. Photographer Allison Rose, who Dawn and Allison have known since they were young, held a unique photo shoot with the two sisters. The photos on Facebook have over 56,000 likes and almost 10,000 shares. The full set of photos can be seen on the Allison Rose Photography Facebook Page.

Once Hudson was born, Allison Rose posted a special photo taken that revealed the sex of the baby. Dawn stood behind Allison with a sign that read “Shhh...It’s a boy!”