05 April 2024 , 09:56
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With only a 1% chance of survival beyond the first year, 34-year-old conjoined twins, Brittany and Abby Hensel, were deemed a ‘medical miracle' after becoming one of the first sets of conjoined twins to survive infancy.
With just one set of twins in every 40,000 born connected in some way to each other, conjoined twins, which refers to twins that are physically fused in utero and consequently at birth, generally have a poor prognosis. The total survival rate is 7.5%, and only 60% of the surgically separated cases survive according to The National Library of Medicine.
While the twins share a single body and all the same organs (including intestine bladder and reproductive organs) they are joined at the pelvis and share a single body from the waist down, controlling one side of the body each. This means growing up, working in synchronicity was key, as leaning to crawl, walk and clap required careful co-operation and co-ordination.
After rising to fame when they appeared on Oprah Winfrey and the cover of Life magazine in 1996 at only six-years-old, the twins then starred in their own reality series on TLC in 2012, which showcased them graduating college together, travelling to Europe and seeking their first job. The twins have been subject to much speculation since.
Early life
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The twins were given a 1% chance of survival (TLC)The twins were born in Minnesota on March 7, 1990, to parents Patty, a nurse, and Mike, a carpenter. Patty had no idea she was carrying twins until the birth. While doctors told the couple they could perform surgery to attempt to separate the twins, it was likely one of them would die as a result. “How could you pick between the two?” father Mike told Time Magazine in 2001. From a young age the twins learnt to work together, running, swimming and playing together, even learning to play the piano, with Abigail taking the right-hand parts and Brittany the left.
Learning to drive
They took two driving tests (Origin/Youtube)While the twins can eat and write separately and simultaneously, other activities, such as running, swimming, or driving require careful co-ordination. Their progress was featured in 2008, in a show called ‘Joined For Life: Abby And Brittany Turn 16’, where Brittany said: “Abby takes over the pedals and the shifter, we both steer, and I take over the blinker and the lights. But she likes driving faster than me.” They had to take two driving tests, but have individual driving licenses. Their mum was quoted as saying: “I don't know what would happen if they got pulled over for speeding. Would they each get a ticket or just Abby because it's her foot on the accelerator?” When it comes to air travel, the twins need their own passports, however they only have to purchase a single plane ticket because they only take up one seat.
Studying
They originally wanted to study two different subjects (TLC)The twins enrolled at Bethel University in Minnesota, where they initially took different subjects. However, lecturers warned it would be impossible for them to take twice as many classes and get their homework done, leading them to enrol on a teaching degree. They graduated in 2012 with two Bachelor of Arts degrees.
Working life
They work as teachers (Origin/Youtube)After settling on a career in education, the twins now work as fourth- and fifth-grade teachers (the equivalent of Year 5 and 6 in the UK), with a specific focus on maths, at Sunnyside Elementary School in Minnesota, While the twins take a dual approach (that allows one to teach, while the other monitors and assists), they only receive a single wage: "Obviously right away we understand that we are going to get one salary because we're doing the job of one person," Abby explained previously to the BBC.
Married life
While the twins have always been clear about maintaining their independence, in 2021 Abby secretly married Josh Bowling, a nurse and US Army veteran, with a clip shared on their TikTok account, @abbyandbrittanyhensel, revealing their wedding ceremony and receiving 29.9million views. The twins were seen in a while wedding dress, while Josh, a father of one, held their hands.
Raising a family
They hope to raise a family (Facebook)
Abby secretly married Josh Bowling (Joshua Bowling/Facebook)The twins have previously stated they would love to become parents. If Abby or Brittany are successful in having biological children they would be the first female dicephalic – or fused side-by-side – twins to do so. Abby was previously quoted as saying: “Yeah, we are going to be mums one day, but we don’t want to talk about how it’s going to work yet.”