What is Womb Twin?
Womb Twin is a voluntary organisation dedicated to provide information and support to womb twin survivors all over the world.
How we can help you
If you are a womb twin survivor, we are here for you, wherever you live in the world.
We offer information and support to womb twin survivors of all ages, including children and their parents.
On this site there are books, special memorials and stories written by womb twin survivors. There is also information on support groups and professional (non-medical) help should you need it.
How you can help us
Help us to raise awareness. Like and follow us on facebook. Talk to your friends about our cause.
Althea Hayton
Founder
Althea Hayton, writer and therapist, founded Womb Twin in 2007. She has published five books about womb twin survivors since 2007.
Sadly, Althea passed away peacefully on 13th August 2014. Although she did not train anyone officially, there are a few people worldwide who use Althea's modalities today to help others understand the complex psychological effects to walk their own healing path.
"It has been a great pleasure and privilege to work with womb twin survivors and hear their stories. Thanks to their generosity in sharing their inner lives with me, the Womb Twin Research Project has unearthed some useful new knowledge about the special psychology of womb twin survivors. I have now retired from working with Womb Twin but I hope that, over the years to come, it will grow from strength to strength."
Celeste Hardingham
Administrator (Former)
Celeste Hardingham started volunteering at Womb Twin since 2013. She was Chairman from 2014-2016. 2016- August 2020 she looked after the website and oversaw all administrative matters relating to the organisation.
"I am very honoured to help such a meaningful cause, to keep the wealth of information going, collated by Althea and to ensure that her work lives on."
Sandy Walkington
Patron
Sandy Walkington is the Honorary Patron of Womb Twin. A lawyer by qualification, he has been a high profile campaigner, a vigorous Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, a councillor, a senior business manager in oil, telecommunications and public transport, and is actively involved in a number of charities as well as being an in-demand public speaker. He has longstanding and close ties to St Albans where Womb Twin is based.
"I myself am a twin with a sister who preceded me into this world by an hour - and rather unusually my mother had twin sisters. I cannot imagine what it must be like if your life begins wrapped up in someone else and then suddenly nothing."
History
WombTwin.com Ltd (Womb Twin) was founded in 2007 by Althea Hayton as a company limited by guarantee with members. Althea was the Chairman of the Company (retired April 2014), working with the Board of Directors. In 2014 Celeste Hardingham took over as Chairman of the Company.
Althea started the Womb Twin Survivors Research Project in 2003, using an extensive online questionnaire to gather data about the behaviour, feelings and beliefs of womb twin survivors. It was from this that the Womb Twin community started.
In Autumn 2016 the Womb Twin company was dissolved and remains an informal voluntary organisation. Celeste Hardingham oversaw all matters relating to the organisation up until August 2020.
Where it all started
Community Experts
The following individuals are longstanding advocates and experts in this field of experience and research. They work both in association with the Womb Twin cause as well as engaging in their own independent activity and research. They all follow the core principles of Womb Twin.
Whatever stage you are at with your womb twin journey our representatives will be happy to guide you*
Canada Maria Kliavkoff - Grief Leader
Ireland Olga Waters - Womb Twin Expert
Netherlands Aranka Reeuwijk - Womb Twin Expert
Olga Waters is our Facebook administrator and hosts Womb Twin Chat. She has been a member of Womb Twin since 2009, and has facilitated the Healing Path Ritual at the annual Womb Twin conference in London in 2011. She founded the Womb Twin Dublin Survivors Facebook page in 2013. In 2014 Olga became our Ireland representative, additionally offering free professional development for therapists new to this field. In that same year and in 2015 she organised the Womb Twin conference in Dublin, the proceeds of which went to the Womb Twin organisation.
Olga facilitates Womb Twin workshops and is a life coach. She also facilitates family constellations using dolls which is a very powerful way of working with womb twin survivors. Olga’s interests are theatre, music, and travel. Olga is also a womb twin one of three (triplets) a co – joined sister (Amy) & brother (Rory) a pair and a spare. Olga’s son is a womb twin.
'To touch the soul of another human being is to walk on holy ground' (quote by Stephen Covey)
Aranka became a Womb Twin representative in 2019. She has been working since 2013 with womb twin survivors for the entire Benelux. She is an expert and knows how to recognise the different dynamics that are so characteristic for WTS. She was once stuck in the 'dream of the womb', recognised all the characteristics and also knows what a challenge it is to get out of it. Aranka had a twin brother.
In her daily work she works through individual sessions with womb twin survivors. She uses, for example, constellations, visualisations and aromatherapy. She also gives workshops (one or more days) especially for womb twin survivors.
In 2020, she and her colleague will start an education for Dutch therapists where they learn to understand and guide womb twin survivors better in their process.
As president of the Dutch foundation for Alone-born Twins (Stichting ATN), Aranka has the mission to raise awareness among therapists and doctors so that the effects of losing a multiple before birth will be taken seriously.
In the coming years, the foundation will start research at European level together with other Womb Twin representatives.
Maria was honoured to become a Womb Twin representative in 2019. She is a womb twin survivor with an expertise in death and grief studies. Maria is an author, keynote speaker, webinar coach, and workshop facilitator. She is committed to working with those who are suffering with buried and carried grief and those who have struggled with a life pattern of grief avoidant behaviour. Maria has been particularly dedicated to working with womb twin survivors and their very unique form of grief.
*Disclaimer
Please note that guidance from our community experts is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is not a substitute for a medical exam, nor does it replace the need for services provided by medical professionals. Always seek the advice of your medical professional before making any changes to your treatment. Any medical questions should be directed to your personal doctor.