World's oldest conjoined twins die after lifetime spent fused at the head

12 April 2024 , 20:14

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Lori Schappell and George Schappell lived full lives before their death at age 62 - George had a country singing career while Lori became a champion bowler and worked at a hospital laundry, with the twins making headlines in 2007 when George came out as trans for the first time (Image: BBC)

The world's oldest conjoined twins, Lori and George Schappell, have died at the age of 62.

Lori and conjoined twin George tragically passed away on Sunday in a Pennsylvania hospital, with the cause of death remaining undisclosed, according to their online obituaries.

The twins, who were born with partially-fused skulls and shared 30 per cent of their brains, defied medical predictions that they wouldn't live past 30. While Lori was able-bodied, George, who had spina bifida, used a wheelchair which his twin pushed around.

George had a successful career as a country singer, while Lori pursued her passion for ten-pin bowling, even winning trophies.

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World's oldest conjoined twins die after lifetime spent fused at the head

World's oldest conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell dead at 62

In the '90s, Lori worked at a hospital laundry, arranging her shifts around George's gigs. George's country singer success took them on trips around the world, and the conjoined twins were able to visit Germany and Japan, as per the Guinness World Records.

They previously made headlines when George, originally named Dori, came out as transgender. They became the first same-sex conjoined twins to identify as different genders after George came out as a transgender man in 2007.

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Lori Schappell and her conjoined twin George Schappel lived separate lives (FilmMagic)

George had a country music career that took the twins overseas, while Lori was a 10-pin bowling champ (Steve Meddle/REX/Shutterstock)

At that point, George changed his name from Reba - a name he adopted to honour his idol Reba McEntire because he disliked their rhyming names - to George.

The twins lived independently in a two-bedroom flat in Pennsylvania, alternating between their separate hobbies. They took turns sleeping in each other's rooms and showered separately, using the shower curtain as a barrier while one stood outside the bath.

A photo from an unknown TV interview a few decades ago as the twins have died, aged 62

In interviews, Lori talked about the importance of independence and privacy for them. “I’m here in body, but that is it,” Lori described. “Just because we cannot get up and walk away from each other doesn’t mean we can’t have solitude from other people or from ourselves. People who are conjoined can have a very private life.”

The duo appeared on various shows, including Jerry Springer, The Maury Povich Show, and The Howard Stern Radio Show.

In previous interviews, when questioned about their desire to be separated, Lori and George consistently responded with a resounding no. "Would we be separated Absolutely not. My theory is: why fix what is not broken?" George expressed in a 1997 documentary.

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Lori Schappell and her conjoined brother George Schappell helped each other out throughout their lives

“If you love the person you’re with and you respect them, you’re going to give them the privacy and compromise in situations that you would want them to give you,” George added.