Fashion bloggers Hermon and Heroda Berhane were seven years old when they both mysteriously went deaf at the same time. Now, at 34, twin sisters have blossoming careers in modeling and acting as well as a fashion blog.
Their mission is simple. “We want to tell people around the world that you should embrace disability, not hide from it, they told CNN.
The sisters grew up in Eritrea and had a happy childhood, and like many twins, they share a special bond.
Hermon once injured her cheek while riding her mountain bike. Heroda wasn’t even with her but said she knew something had happened. “When my left cheek started hurting, I knew she was in trouble. It was the only explanation for my pain,” Heroda said.
It took their parents a long time to realize the girls were deaf. “We were playing together in the backyard of our parents’ house; our mother was trying to call our names, and we did not hear at all,” the twins said. Their brother was also deaf, so the family decided to move to the UK to seek medical help.
Hermon’s acting journey began after she took a trip to South America, while Heroda’s confidence grew when she landed a role in a television commercial. As far as Hermon is concerned, “Deaf people can do it like everyone can.”
“We had quite (a lot) of barriers through our lives, especially (our) career, but we fight for it. … We will have to use our deafness and being black women to break these barriers.”
“People are hungry for real inspiration, and we want you to see that we’re wearing clothes that we can afford and most importantly that you can relate (to) with our personality.”
Find out more about them and follow their journey through their blog, Being Her.
