The thrill of having multiple births can rapidly turn into a nightmare when parents find out that their two babies are conjoined. When Heather and Riley Delaney learned that their two children would be born with their heads connected together, they got a firsthand look at the issues related to conjoined twins.
The twins were born ten weeks early after an emergency c-section, in addition to being conjoined. The two children were born prematurely and weighed a mere two pounds apiece. The Children’s Hospital Association of Philadelphia said that their parents gave them the names Erin and Abbey.
The decision to separate the twin girls was dangerous since they were not just linked by skin; they also shared some brain tissue and blood arteries. Only six out of every ten million twins have what is known as “craniopagus conjoined twins,” a syndrome that causes twins to be united at the head.
The girls were born so early and so little that it was too difficult to begin the process of separating them right once. Rather, the girls had to spend nearly a year living together while the surgeons got them ready for the surgery.
The procedure itself took fourteen hours to complete. The twins were the youngest twins to be successfully separated after being linked at the head, in addition to enduring an arduous process.
Dr. Taylor stated, “This is one of the earliest separations of craniopagus conjoined twins ever recorded.” The twins underwent additional operations and treatments to help restructure portions of their missing heads after their initial procedure.
The girls also had to undergo physical treatment to strengthen their legs because they had been unable to walk or crawl while their heads were connected together.
It has been more than a year since the girls were split apart, even though their parents must have found the entire experience frightening and upsetting. The opportunity to spend one-on-one time with each of their kids made Heather and Riley feel that the procedure was well worth it.
How do the girls fare these days? Two energetic, content toddlers that are thriving in life are Erin and Abbey. In an effort to encourage their girls and provide hope to other families dealing with conjoined twins, their parents strive to tell their tale. To learn more about their story, check out the video bellow!