The following article appeared in the West Valley View paper in Arizona. Candice and Crystal Sipe are celebs in the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome community. They sing at every HPS Family Conference, and they've represented HPS all over the place, including the celebration of the Human Genome Project a few years ago. At this year's conference they gave me a CD of their music, and it's one of my most treasured CDs. Here, the twins are pictured performing at this year's HPS Family Conference. Angels in Voice perform with personal passion
Kristen Smith staff writer
Crystal Sipe always stands on the right. Candice Sipe always stands on the left.
They can't sing any other way, even when practicing in the music/crafts room in the Avondale home they share with their family.
It's the only way the 25-year-old identical twins can transform their raspy, throaty voices into pure, deep wine.
They sing the way they finish each other's sentences; in perfect harmony.
They call themselves "Angels in Voice" and sing Gospel and inspirational tunes at churches, weddings and other local events. It is their way to share God's word, strength and glory, they said.
Yet their voices are a shock to the ears and the eyes as the two thin girls barely hit the 5 foot mark. Wearing thick eyeglasses and enough make up to tint their pale, pale skin it barely registers that the two have albinism.
It's even harder to believe they only have 60 to 70 percent lung capacity — it's all they have to work with as they belt out their tunes.
They believe they don't do it alone.
"God gives us 100 percent though," Candice said.
The twins were diagnosed with Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome at age 9. The syndrome is a rare multi-faceted genetic metabolic disorder characterized by albinism, vision impairments and bleeding problems.
The twins have all three conditions as well as a plethora of others, including pulmonary fibrosis and severe osteoporosis.
But it is the HPS that ties all the conditions together. It explains the problems, the bleeding and the albinism.
The twins don't look like the movie-version of an albino. Their skin isn't puffy-cloud white, their eyes are brownish-green, and their hair, well, the twins dye it to a dark reddish color.
Many people find it hard to believe the women are albino, they look Caucasian.
Look a little closer and the distinct Indian figures shine through, the narrow face, the dainty fingers. Born in India, the twins were brought to the United States when they were just 1 year old.
They were adopted by Joe and Karen Sipe, entering a home already filled with four children, including an older sister also adopted from India. A brother, again adopted from India, joined the crew a few years later.
The Sipes knew all along of the girl's albinism; the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome diagnosis came much later. And the diagnosis answered a lot of questions. The twins were even test cases for the research which, 10 years ago, was just in the beginning stages.
It's still a relatively unknown disorder today. The family carries pamphlets explaining the disorder to each new doctor, as many are unfamiliar with the disorder.
Facing an uphill battle with hope
On top of the myriad medical problems the twins face, last spring Candice was diagnosed with liver cancer. Crystal was examined but declared free of cancer. A 12.6 centimeter cancerous mass was removed from Candice's liver. Her gall bladder was also removed. Doctors told the twin's mother to make arrangements; chances were iffy for Candice to pull through.
Now, nearly a year later, she is cancer-free; she credits her recovery to her faith.
Candice even wrote her first song, "Thank you Jesus" while in the hospital recovering from her cancer surgery.
"He's not done with us," Candice said. "Obviously He still has plans for us."
Karen Sipe, the twin's mother, believes everything that has happened has been God's plan for the family.
"God is good and he has a purpose for their lives," she said. "God has a purpose for us on this Earth and we were put here for a purpose and that is to spread His word and the girls are doing that."
Though they had to drop out of college due to health problems, the twins still stay busy with voice lessons, both teaching and taking. They also are constantly working on their music ministry, Angels in Voice, and helping raise awareness of Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome.
But they are also just regular women, looking for meaning in life and spreading their wings. They're also on the lookout for someone to spend their lives with, they said.
"We're still waiting for twins," Crystal said.
"I don't know if they're intimidated or something but guys can't seem to decide which one of us they want," Candice added.
They joke about attending twin conventions to find their mates. And the men would have to be willing to live next door to each other, the twins insist.
For now, they are content making music and just living their lives, they said.
"Whatever God has in store for us," Candice said. "We stay pretty busy with our music right now. We want to be a blessing and an inspiration and we want our music to be an encouragement."
They want others to know there is hope, they said.
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