Long ago, when she knew her twin daughters would never be able to live by themselves, Christine Sands made a promise: She would never take them from their home.
Kathy and Linda Sands are now 43. They have cerebral palsy and spend most of their hours in modified hospital beds in a back bedroom with one window.
But the face they see every morning is the same.
Christine Sands, 72, continues to care for her daughters as she has since they were babies. The twins, born seven weeks prematurely, were diagnosed with their condition when they were 9 months old.
Kathy Sands was affected most severely; her movement is limited to gestures with her arms. Her sister, Linda, a cheerful and talkative woman who likes unicorns and ’80s music, uses a computer to work on a novel and network on Facebook.
They live in the master bedroom of a rented, furnished house in Northeast Austin that strains their budget. They dream of a single-level home, ideally with a view from the room that the daughters would share. The bedroom where they live now has a partial view of a drainage ditch. They’d love an extra bedroom because a friend has offered to live with and care for them.
