Siamese Twins: How Brothers Defy the Odds of Survival

Twins Ruby and Rosie are very proud to have been Siamese twins at one point.

The 11-year-old girls from south-east London were born joined at their intestines and abdomen and separated when they were just 24 hours old.

They are part of a group of six pairs of conjoined twins brought together by London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) for a pizza party.

They all continue to receive specialist medical care in different parts of the hospital.

“Of course we fight a lot…but we will always have this bond that makes us sisters forever and love each other forever,” Ruby told me.

Siamese twins develop when the early embryo partially separates to form two individuals that remain physically connected. It is usually attached to the chest, abdomen, or pelvis.

This is rare, accounting for about one in every 500,000 births in the UK, meaning that on average, one pair of conjoined twins is born each year in Britain.

Ruby and Rosie have undergone five surgeries already and will face more to come.

“We were told they wouldn’t survive the pregnancy — and maybe even the surgery — and now they’re in high school and doing great,” said their mother, Angela Formosa.

“It’s really good for them to see other twins starting out the same way they did, because there are so few of them,” she adds.

Brothers Hassan and Hussein, 13, from Cork, Republic of Ireland, also attended the event.

They are born joined at the thorax, and share a pelvis, several organs, and a pair of legs. After they were separated, each of them was left with one leg.

The two boys were separated at Great Ormond Street Hospital when they were four months old and have since had at least 60 operations between them.

They compete in a wide range of sports, from athletics to wall climbing, and would like to represent Ireland at the Paralympics.

Hassan told me what motivates him: “Waking up every day and doing my best, knowing that I can do anything any other kid can do.”

“And I like wheelchair basketball because it’s fast and you can hit people,” Hussein said.

Their mother, Angie Benhassaf, told me: “From the first ultrasound at 12 weeks, they were told they had no hope of survival, but to see them, after more than 60 surgeries, is unbelievable. They didn’t let that define them.” from”. they”.

“It’s really important for me and the boys to meet other children born into unusual circumstances. They’re a special group and it’s good to know they’re not alone in the world.”

Great Ormond Street Hospital performed the first successful separation of conjoined twins in 1985 and cared for 38 siblings.

Consultant pediatric surgeon Paolo Di Coppi believes Great Ormond Street Hospital has separated more conjoined twins than any other hospital in the world.

He told the BBC: “The separation process is risky and revision surgeries are then needed as children grow, so it’s important for parents to know it’s a lifelong journey and not just a few months in hospital.”

Seven-year-old sisters Maryam and Wendy, from Cardiff, also enjoyed the party and were not separated.

Their father, Ibrahima, and the surgical team agreed it would be too risky.

“They cannot be separated because they support each other, and if they separated, one of them would certainly not survive and the other probably would not survive either,” Professor De Coppi explained.

“These are difficult decisions. We know that they are facing difficulties together, but they also have a happy life that we cannot guarantee by being apart.”

The twins were brought to the UK from Senegal in 2017 to receive treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The youngest of the sets of sextuplets, Zion and Zain, were born in April and separated when they were just a few weeks old.

Essie and Annie, 19 months, were separated in September last year.

The success of the surgery depends on where the twins are joined and the organs they share. It also depends on the experience and skill of the surgical team.

“Teamwork starts even before surgery to make sure we make the right decisions, some of which have to be made during the surgical procedure,” Professor De Coppi said.

“But what is even more important after the surgical journey is complete is actually a team effort at the hospital level.”

“Bringing all the kids together is very rewarding for us, but also for the families, as they see what others have gone through – the same struggles, but also the same joy.”