Conjoined Twins Succeed Against All Odds

When the Hensel twins were born in 1990 they caused quite an uproar. Not only were their parents expecting just one lovely little girl and they had two, but the girls were a very special set of twins. Born one in every 50,000 births, the Hensel twins were conjoined. Medical professionals at the birth were impressed that not only where the girls alive, but seemed to be relatively healthy. They didn't need to immediately be separated to save one or other of the girls, and functioned mostly like normal.

Surprise Twins!

Brittany and Abby Hensel were definitely a surprise. While their parents were expecting one baby, they had no idea what was in store for them. Born on March 7th, 1990, in Carver County, Minnesota, the girls were cause for excitement from the moment they arrived. Not only were they twins, but they were conjoined!

1 Body, 2 Heads

Brittany and Abby are dicephalic parapagus twins, meaning they have separate heads on one body. They are also highly symmetric, with normal proportions for their arms and legs. They share a torso but have their own spinal cords, lungs, spines, stomachs, and hearts. They also each control one arm and one leg.

Beating The Odds

While many conjoined twins do not live past infancy, Brittany and Abby seemed determined to beat the odds. Their parents decided not to try and have them surgically separated as the risk of losing one or both of them was so great. They have suffered health issues over the years, but they've continued to survive and thrive.

Normal Siblings

Aside from being conjoined, Brittany and Abby have led fairly normal lives. They've gone to school and had summer vacation adventures and they've loved each other and argued with each other as most siblings do. Being so close has not deterred them from finding their own personalities and goals in life.

Overcoming The Struggles

There were certainly struggles as Brittany and Abby grew up. With each of them having control of one arm and one leg they had to learn how to coordinate perfectly to do things like walk, swim, and ride a bike. It may have taken them a bit more work than regular toddlers and children, but they figured it out and managed to succeed with everything they wanted to do.

What To Wear?

One of the things Brittany and Abby had to figure out, with the help of their parents, was how to find clothing in sizes that would work for them. While their legs are relatively normal in size and shape, their torso is wider than the average. Clothing might need to be altered or created custom for them to be able to wear it.

No Holding Back

Brittany and Abby have always loved being active. They have not hidden themselves away from the world and skipped out on doing fun things. They've attended events and gone out to experience all of the fun things the world has to offer.