Conjoined twins' parents explain why they decided against separating them
The parents of conjoined twins Abby and Brittany Hensel opened up about their decision not to separate them after they were born with one body between them.
Abby and Brittany, who are now 34, have recently been making headlines after it emerged yesterday (March 27) that Abby had quietly married nurse and US Army veteran Josh Bowling three years ago.
The twins were born in 1990 to parents Patty and Mike in Minnesota.
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The sisters are dicephalus conjoined twins, meaning they share a bloodstream and all organs below the waist.
They each have their own head, and each sister has her own heart, stomach, spine and lungs. However, the twins share two arms and legs between them. Abby controls their right arm and leg, while Brittany controls the limbs on the left.
Being conjoined has meant the twins have had to get used to living two lives in one body, but they've spoken previously about how their parents raised them to believe they 'could do anything' they wanted to.
When Abby and Brittany were born, doctors gave Patty and Mike the option for the twins to undergo a surgery which would attempt to separate them.
The parents discussed the possibility, though professionals warned them that there was little chance that both twins could survive.
During an interview with Time Magazine in 2001, Mike said: “How could you pick between the two?”
Deciding the risk was too great, Patty and Mike opted not to go through with the surgery, leaving Brittany and Abby to live their lives conjoined.
Since the sisters have never known anything different, they soon learned to cooperate in their actions.
The twin sisters can eat, write and complete other tasks separately, though other tasks which require the use of multiple limbs at the same time requires them to work together.
Through this coordination, the twins can drive a car, play the piano, ride a bike and participate in sports, and they also work together in their jobs as teachers.
Both Brittany and Abby have their own driver's license and had to pass their test separately, as the state of Minnesota requires both of them to hold their own license.
Abby and Brittany have gained fans from across the globe thanks to their numerous appearances on TV, first in 1996 on The Oprah Winfrey Show and then on documentaries Joined for Life and Joined at Birth.
Emily Brown