In the Harris-Marchbanks family, “double trouble” isn’t just a phrase — it’s a way of life.
For generations, twins and even triplets have been a recurring theme in this remarkable family. From grandparents to cousins, the Harris family tree is filled with branches that split twice.
The Harris/Marchbanks family has been blessed — and sometimes surprised — by twins and triplets in four consecutive generations. It all started with his grandmother, who had twins. From there, the multiples kept multiplying.
"I have twin brothers on my father's side, and I have twin sisters. I have twin nieces. I have twin cousins. I have twin children," said Kunta Kentae Harris.
The Harris Marchbanks family has at least nine sets of twins and a set of triplets. We first learned of this remarkable family from this Facebook post to the Downriver and Friends page by Romana Marchbanks, Kunta’s sister. She asks if anyone else has twins that run in their family. She’s a twin.
Their oldest brother has twins, Kunta as twins and we’ll hear from his daughter in just a bit. Their sister - a twin - had twins and a set of triplets. Their nephew has twins. Their second oldest brother has twin granddaughters. Another brother has twin grand boys, an uncle has twins and a cousin has twins.
"It's really an exceptional, special story," said Dr. Sam Bauer.
That’s Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist Dr Sam Bauer with Corewell Health. He says multiple births are rare occuring in just 2-3 percent of births — but family history can tip the scales.
"There can be genetic traits that cause a family to hyper ovulate. When you hyper ovulate, you obviously more eggs and that can increase the risk of multiple gestation," Dr. Bauer said.
Maternal Age is also a factor. Women over the age of 35 are more likely to release multiple eggs during ovulation, increasing the chance of fraternal twins. Treatments like in-vitro fertilization (IVF) can increase the chances of multiple births.
Kunta and I spoke to one of his twins - his daughter India and her relationship with her twin brother Israel.
"She thinks that she's his mother," Kunta said.
"He's my son," India said.
"Yea, because you were born a whole minute earlier," I replied.
She says being a twin is an amazing experience and a connection few can understand
"I feel what he feels. He feels what I feel. And when I was pregnant and my brother had five, he got super thirsty at 5 a.m.," India said.
"Twins have a stronger bond or a closeness," Kunta said. "They love the rest of the siblings, but they have a closeness."
Kunta says the sheer number of multiples in his family is amazing, even to him.
"You don't realize your family dynamics are that large. You know, you know your family years and you see them. And then when you start a number and I'm like, wow," Kunta said.
Kunta jokes that the Harris/Marchbanks family’s combination of genetics, history, and maybe a touch of destiny means anyone joining the family better be prepared. "When a couple gets together or to meet up with our family. You have to be careful," Kunta said. "You're liable to have twins."
