An Australian man has undergone a life-saving brain surgery after his identical twin's 'sixth sense' helped locate a rare tumor, Australia's Channel 9 News reports.
When Brenton Gurney from Sydney began experiencing persistent headaches, he went to get an MRI scan -- but nothing abnormal was found.
On a hunch, Brenton then suggested that his identical twin Craig, who was not suffering from any symptoms, should go for a scan himself.
Craig and Brenton then joined a study of twins and mental health, which led to both of them getting MRIs, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Incredibly, a massive and rare tumor was found in the base of Craig's skull. He was "shell-shocked."
"I was hoping they had mixed up the MRI results and got the wrong twin," Brenton, 38, told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Last year, Craig underwent a complex 10 and a half hour operation to remove the tumor. He also had to undergo two months of intensive radiation therapy.
He has since recovered.
"Ultimately Brenton saved my life," Craig said.
The incident has left medical experts acknowledging that there is still plenty to learn about the remarkable connection between identical twins.
"There's so much we don't know," said Justine Gatt of the Brain Dynamics Centre at the University of Sydney.
This is not the first time that the twins have shared a 'telepathic' connection. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Craig once detected from over a thousand miles away that his brother had a life-threatening rash. He also knew when Brenton had dislocated his shoulder.
'We're really closely connected and we've always been able to pick each other, know what each other was thinking,' Craig told Channel 9.
The brothers, who shared a bedroom until they were 22, have been inseparable since they were children. In a curious coincidence, they both even ended up marrying women named Nicole.
According to Channel 9, Brenton and Craig have been helping twin research studies since their mother registered them with the Australian Twin Registry soon after their birth.
Craig said he believes it is "almost a duty" for twins to take part in studies so scientists can learn more about the part that genes and the environment play on their health.