Twin sisters who say they earn six figures a month on OnlyFans have turned their online success into a family lifeline, helping their disabled mother launch her own account on the platform after a rare genetic nerve disorder forced her to give up work.

Julia and Lauren Burch, 25, from Los Angeles, say their mother, Pam, 46, turned to the subscription site because her disability payments, which she puts at about $2,000 (£1,495) a month, do not cover her living and medical costs.

She launched her page in 2023 and says she has earned six figures in total since then. The family says her account has around 15,000 subscribers.

Diagnosis Ended Mum's School Career

Pam says she was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. CMT is an inherited neurological disorder affecting the peripheral nerves. Muscle weakness, muscle wasting and sensory problems are more characteristic than extreme fatigue. Tiredness can occur because moving around requires greater effort.

She says the condition eventually forced her to leave her job as a child and youth care practitioner with a local school board. Around the same time, she says, she separated from her fiancé.

Pam, a single mother who raised three children in Ontario, Canada, still spends most of the year living in a van there. She says her housing arrangements and medical needs add to her costs. She has said OnlyFans 'seemed like the best next step' because it allows her to work when her body cooperates and rest when her symptoms flare up.

Before her diagnosis, Pam worked multiple jobs to pay for the twins' competitive dancing and homeschooled them for much of their childhood, the family says. She spent seven or eight years waitressing before retraining for the school board role.

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What Are the Symptoms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease?

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease affects the peripheral nerves, which carry signals between the brain, spinal cord and the rest of the body. These nerves help control muscle movement and transmit sensations such as touch, pain and temperature.

Symptoms often begin in the feet and lower legs, although their severity and progression vary from person to person. Common signs include muscle weakness, difficulty lifting the front of the foot, frequent tripping, balance problems and unusually high arches or curled toes.

As the condition progresses, weakness and reduced sensation can spread to the hands and arms, making everyday activities such as gripping objects, writing or fastening buttons more difficult. Some people also experience muscle cramps, joint pain, numbness, tingling and persistent tiredness because moving around requires additional effort.

CMT is generally progressive, meaning symptoms can worsen over time. However, the rate of progression varies, and some people experience relatively mild symptoms while others develop significant mobility difficulties.

There is currently no cure, but treatments such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, supportive braces and medication for nerve pain can help manage symptoms and maintain mobility.

Twins' Route to OnlyFans

OnlyFans is a subscription platform on which creators charge fans for access to content, much of it adult material.

The sisters had aspired to become models since childhood but turned to social media after modelling agencies showed little interest in them. They eventually realised their height could limit their opportunities in the fashion industry.

They joined OnlyFans in July 2020 and have since built substantial online followings, with each claiming around two million Instagram followers and more than 400,000 OnlyFans subscribers. The twins also say they earn six figures monthly from the platform, although their reported earnings and follower figures have not been independently verified.

'We love it so much. It's a lot of work but it's worth it,' Lauren has said of the daily routine of content creation, promotion and fan management.

Pam's account is separate from those of her daughters, with each woman running her own page and audience. The twins help with photography and social media content, and say they enjoy creating seasonal shoots with their mother. They describe the venture as a family project.

Online Backlash to OnlyFans Family Venture

The family has faced criticism online. Some social media users have accused them of 'normalising' explicit content within a family, while others have called the arrangement 'demonic activity'. The twins say they regularly receive abusive messages.

Pam says she is unfazed and stands by her daughters' choices. 'My girls are smart and know what they're doing. I've always been so proud of them,' she has said. She has also said she believes many critics are jealous.

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