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Reason why parents of conjoined twins Abby and Brittany decided not to separate them

Home> Life

Published 13:00 28 Mar 2024 GMT

Reason why parents of conjoined twins Abby and Brittany decided not to separate them

Their parents previously opened up about their children's medical anomaly

Rhiannon Ingle

Rhiannon Ingle

Any fans of the TLC show Abby & Brittany will be buzzing to know that conjoined twin, Abby Hensel, is now married.

The world-famous conjoined twins, who live in Minnesota, US, first entered a life in the public after appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show back in 1996 at just six-years-old.

The pair are now 34-years-old and have achieved many milestones throughout their lives, including Abby excitedly tying the knot.

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The pair once had their own TLC series to show to the world how they live their day-to-day lives.
Channel 5

To give it the proper medical name, Abby and Brittany are dicephalic parapagus twins, which gives them the appearance of having two heads on one body.

It is very much seen as a rare condition, with only a few people surviving until adulthood.

The twins both have their own heart, stomach, spine and lungs, and they each control one leg and one arm of the conjoined body.

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Abby and Brittany can eat, write and complete other tasks separately, though tasks that require the use of multiple limbs require cooperation between the pair for it to work.

Before the twins were born in March 1990, their parents Patty and Mike had no idea they were even expecting two children.

It was later realised the twins' heads must have been perfectly aligned during ultrasounds to give the appearance of just one fetus developing.

The girls weren't even expected to make it through the first night, but are now still going strong 34 years later.

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Despite being together at all times, the twins want to show they have different personalities.
YouTube/OMG Stories

Many options were discussed for what was best for the girls, but separating them was never considered by Patty and Mike as they feared they might die or be left with severe disabilities if the surgery was attempted.

Abby has previously said: "We never wish we were separated because we would never be able to do all the things that we do now, like play softball, run and do sports."

The pair even once starred in their own reality TV show, giving viewers a insight into their unique life which saw them graduating high school, passing their driving test and generally living very happy lives.

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As Abby & Brittany began on TLC, the pair spoke to the Daily Mirror about how they wanted to prove to the world they have totally different personalities.

Back in 2012, they also dreamt of marriage and having children of their own, with Brittany saying: "The whole world doesn’t need to know who we are seeing, what we are doing and when we are going to do it.

"But believe me, we are totally different people.”

Meanwhile, Abby added: "Yeah, we are going to be mums one day, but we don’t want to talk about how it’s going to work yet.”

Featured Image Credit: Origin / TLC

Topics: Celebrity, Parenting, Sex and Relationships, Wedding, US News

Rhiannon Ingle
Rhiannon Ingle

Rhiannon Ingle is a Senior Journalist at Tyla, specialising in TV, film, travel, and culture. A graduate of the University of Manchester with a degree in English Literature, she honed her editorial skills as the Lifestyle Editor of The Mancunian, the UK’s largest student newspaper. With a keen eye for storytelling, Rhiannon brings fresh perspectives to her writing, blending critical insight with an engaging style. Her work captures the intersection of entertainment and real-world experiences.

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