Parents of conjoined twins who were given less than 24 hours to live explain why they won’t separate them
The parents of a set of conjoined twins, who were once given just 24 hours to live, have explained their decision not to separate them.
Mom and dad Chelsea and Nick Torres, from Blackfoot, Idaho, were left stunned when they learned in 2016 they were pregnant with conjoined twins.
Doctors warned the couple that their daughters would only have a five percent chance of living for more than a day - prompting the parents to face the tough decision of whether to go through with the pregnancy.
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Speaking on the YouTube channel Truly, Nick admitted: "At the very very beginning we thought abortion for would be the best option.
"No one wants to carry their kids for nine months just to have them die."
However, after considering their options, the parents decided to give birth to the little girls, though they didn't want to get their hopes up and never bought any clothes for the newborns.
As a result, they were 'vastly unprepared' - though delighted - when the two little girls, Callie and Carter, defied the odds and managed to survive.
Seven years on, the two sisters are used to life as conjoined twins connected from the sternum down.
Both Callie and Carter have their own heart and stomach, but they share a liver, intestinal track, and bladder. Each twin can control two arms, and one leg.
While it is possible to separate conjoined twins, Chelsea explained the parents had no plans for Callie and Carter to undergo such an operation because it posed a number of risks.
"The only way we'd do it is if a health issues arises or if they wanted to be separated," the mom explained. "We want them to understand the risks."
For now, however, Chelsea has assured the twins are 'happy in the skin that they're in'.
Nick added: "They are not afraid to do anything."
Last year, Chelsea told the East Idaho News that she wants her daughters to 'be treated like any other kids because they are'.
"I just want people to know that they are just two normal kids," she said. "They are in an unusual circumstance, but just treat them normal.
"They are in school, they go to physical therapy, they do normal activities, they ride bikes."
Callie and Carter, who use a wheelchair to get around, have recently finished first grade and told the publisher they 'really like school a lot'.
"We have lots of friends," Carter said.
Emily Brown