Remember the Biracial Twins From Illinois? They Are 4 Now, and Here’s How They Look

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From the archives: This story was last updated in June 2019.

Whitney Meyer and Tomas Dean, a multiracial couple from Quincy, Illinois, in the United States, were expecting twins, and when Kalani and Jarani Dean were born, the parents were in for a pleasant surprise. Kalani and Jarani are what in medical terms is called “biracial” twins, indeed a rare occurrence.

Kalani takes after her mom, Whitney, who is Caucasian, and Jarani looks like her dad, Tomas, who is an African American.

Their mom, Whitney, posted a photo of the twins on her Facebook page, and this is what made them go viral.

Kalani and Jarani Dean were born on April 23, 2016. The girls were part of a phenomenon called “biracial twins,” which happens when the parents are from two different ethnic backgrounds and two separate sperm cells fertilize two different eggs.

“At first when they were born, I wanted to believe it but it’s so rare I didn’t think it’d happen to my twins! But sure enough, they’re biracial twins!” Whitney explained to KHQA.

Alluding to the different skin color tone of Kalani, Whitney went on to further explain: “When Kalani came out I thought she (had albinism) because she was all white. I asked my doctors, but they said, ‘Nope!’ And I kept thinking she would get color but she didn’t.”

“It’s unusual,” she added. However, the girls instantly became internet stars!

Whitney told PEOPLE, “… in this family, we don’t see color. Love is love.”

In addition to their skin color being different, their eye colors are also very different. Kalani has blue eyes, whilst Jarani has brown eyes. Whitney also shared that these fraternal twins have very different personalities.

“Kalani is [a] very active girl and loves to explore what she can,” Whitney told InsideEdition.com. “Jay is still our laid back child that would rather have a banana over bouncing a ball lol. She has more of the chill personality. I love being their mom. Our local town calls them the celebrity babies!”

The girls also attract a lot of attention when they go outside as people are quite surprised by their completely contrasting skin color tones. “You get a lot of people with confused faces that see them [in matching clothes] because of their skin tones,“ Whitney said. ”But once I tell them they’re twins they get so tickled. They get a lot of pictures from people.”

The birth of the girls was incredibly special for Whitney as she was grieving the loss of her 2-year-old son, Pravyn, who had died by drowning in a babysitter’s pool. Apparently, Jarani looks like her late brother.

The happy girls, who don’t leave each other’s side when they go out, celebrated their third birthday this year. The Illinois mother still gets questions from passersby. Whitney shared on her Facebook page: “Somebody asked me if they were best friends. I told her, ‘No, they’re sisters.’ She said, ‘I remember I use to call my friend my sister to.’ ‘No lady, they’re twin sisters!’ Her response, ‘Ah be damn.’”

The beautiful twins also became older sisters in December 2018 when Whitney gave birth to her youngest son, Tomar Jor’Ream Dean.

The love that these girls are receiving from their parents and everybody is incredible. While they may not look the same, the bond between them and their family as a whole is amazing and wonderful; they are incredibly fortunate! The possibilities of a wonderful future are truly things to look forward to.

Watch the beautiful twins here: