Siamese twins: their life and uniqueness. Siamese twins: why the egg is going crazy Siamese twins girls

These people are used to being one.

Thirty years ago, on September 6, 1987, doctors were able to separate the Siamese twins for the first time - and give life to two seven-month-old boys from Germany who were born with fused heads. Then a group of several dozen surgeons led by an American neurosurgeon Benjamin Solomon Carson in the course of many hours of operation, which lasted almost a day, she proved that what seemed previously impossible is possible.

According to statistics from the World Health Organization, in Europe, the birth of Siamese twins ends in one out of 80 thousand births, in the world - one out of 60 thousand. Most often girls are born. Almost half of babies are born dead, about 70% of these twins die in the first months. However, history knows enough cases when Siamese twins lived for several decades. Whether they were happy or not is another question.

Chang and Eng Bankers

Siamese conjoined twins began to be called thanks to Changu and Engu Bunkerwho were born in Siam in 1811 and became famous all over the world as circus artists.

The Bunker brothers have grown together with each other's rib cages. They have lived a very long and successful life and even got families and offspring. Chang had ten children, Ang had eleven. They died at the age of 63, on one day: Chang contracted pneumonia and died suddenly (according to another version, he died of a stroke). The surgeon, who had promised his surviving brother to carry out a separation operation to keep him alive, stayed on the road. Eng outlived his deceased twin by several hours.

Millie and Christina McCoy

Siamese twins Millie and Christina McCoy were born in the USA in 1851 into a family of slaves. Girls were sold and passed on by inheritance from one owner to another, kidnapped.

As adults, they began to sing and dance in the show. They were released on stage under the pseudonym Two-Headed Nightingale and represented one girl - but with two heads, four arms and legs. The McCoy sisters, like the Bunker brothers, lived a very long life - they died in 1912 at the age of 61, a few hours apart.

Rose and Joseph Blazek

Siamese twins from Bohemia (now Czech Republic) Rose and Joseph Blazek were born in 1878, fused in the pelvic area. They also chose an artistic career, but they did not manage to earn much money. In 1910, one of them gave birth to a son - the father of the child was unknown. When it became known about her pregnancy, the press at first took it as a duck, doctors believed that childbirth could be deadly for both twins - but nothing happened. The Blažek sisters died in 1922 almost simultaneously.

Violetta and Daisy Hilton

Famous American Siamese twins of British descent Daisy and Violetta Hiltonin the 1930s, they toured Europe and the United States with great success.

The girls were born in 1908, they fused in the pelvic area, but they did not have common vital organs. The barmaid mother quickly got rid of her daughters - she sold them to the owner of the circus. The Hilton sisters entered their first show at the age of three. In 1931, they began to sue the "owners" and eventually received the long-awaited freedom and a decent amount of dollars in compensation, after which they organized their own theatrical show. Daisy and Violetta Hilton performed until old age and died in 1969. Daisy died from complications of the flu, her twin sister, as the American press wrote, survived her for several days. She was quietly fading away, not wanting to seek help from doctors.

Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapov

The fate of the most famous Siamese twins of the Soviet Union - Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapovs - turned out to be tragic. They were born in 1950 in Moscow. As the press wrote, their mothers at first did not want to show the newborns and were told that they had died. After one of the nurses finally decided to show the girls' mother, she was moved by her mind and was treated for a long time in a psychiatric clinic.

The Krivoshlyapov sisters met her only when they were well over thirty. The father, under pressure from doctors, signed the death certificate of his daughters, Masha and Dasha never saw him afterwards.

The Krivoshlyapov sisters, who have lived most of their lives in a special institution for the disabled, were “studied” for many years at the Institute of Pediatrics of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, then at one of the research institutes. The girls were taught to walk on crutches and were given minimal education - in fact, they were just taught to count, read and write. They wrote that in adulthood they suffered from alcohol addiction. The Krivoshlyapovs died in the spring of 2003 - first Maria died of a heart attack, and less than a day later Daria died of intoxication.

In 2003, the world's oldest Siamese twins Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapovs finished their difficult life path. pic.twitter.com/lwhPQEANeA

Ronnie and Donnie Galion

Ronnie and Donnie Galion today they are considered the oldest living Siamese twins (their record is officially recorded in the Guinness Book of Records). They were born in 1951 in the American city of Dayton. The twins spent the first two years in the hospital, all this time the doctors were looking for a way to separate the babies that had grown together below the waist. Their parents, having assessed the risks, ultimately decided to leave everything as it is.

From the age of four, Ronnie and Donnie Galion began making money performing in the circus. In childhood, they often found out the relationship and even demanded to "cut" them, but over the years they learned to find a compromise and got used to the fact that they have one body - and two souls. They do well without outside help and live in their own home, where their younger brother visits them.

It is common knowledge that twins are of two types. Dizygotic (fraternal or fraternal, non-identical) twins develop from two or more simultaneously fertilized eggs. Monozygous (identical, identical) twins - from one fertilized egg, at an early stage of development split into two (three, four ...) parts. On average, this occurs in three to four pregnancies out of a thousand. The reasons for this splitting have not yet been precisely established. Monozygotic twins are genetically identical. Dizygotic twins from the point of view of genetics are ordinary brothers and sisters.

Depending on the stage of development of the fertilized egg, its splitting occurred, several types of development of monozygotic twins are distinguished:

1. In very rare cases (1% of all monozygotic twins), splitting occurs quite late, when the amniotic bladder and chorion have already formed. Then the twins develop in the common amniotic membrane and with the common placenta (monochorionic and monoamniotic type).
2. If the splitting of the zygote (fertilized egg) occurs later, when a hollow ball is formed from the dividing cells, then the twins divide the chorion and the placenta, and their amniotic membranes are individual. This is the most common variant - it occurs in about two-thirds of cases of monozygotic twins (monochorionic and diamniotic type).
3. After fertilization, any egg, regardless of whether it is destined to "give birth" to twins or a single fetus, begins to actively divide. The cells that form during this cleavage of the egg are called blastomeres. Blastomeres do not grow, but only halve with each subsequent division. So, splitting can occur already at the stage of two (several) blastomeres and follow the “individualistic” path. By “individualism” we mean the following: the same embryos develop from these blastomeres (after all, they are the “children” of one egg), but each has its own chorion and amniotic membrane (dichorionic diamniotic type). About a third of all monozygotic twins develop in this way. In this case, the placenta is most often one, but it happens that "individualism" goes so far that even two placentas are formed (or several, if there are more than two fetuses).

Fused (or Siamese) twins are monozygous, therefore they have the same set of genes and are always of the same sex.

Fused twins appear if this splitting is delayed until 13 days after conception. Thus, they are monozygotic twins that have not been separated in the womb and remain fused after birth.

First, a few basic facts. Among conjoined twins, there are three times more women than men, and they are most often born in Africa and India. This is a very rare occurrence. There are currently about a dozen couples living in the United States. Most conjoined twins die in the womb, and the pregnancy ends in miscarriage. Three-quarters of accreted twins are either born dead or die shortly after birth. They are born in about one case in 200 thousand. The birth of fused twins is usually a surprise to parents, because during pregnancy there may be no signs that a woman is carrying fused twins.

Why is the connection happening? According to modern research, many factors can lead to delayed splitting of the zygote. These include genetic and environmental influences as well as exposure to toxic substances. But the cases of the birth of fused twins, recorded millennia ago, received much more colorful explanations at that time. For example, in 1495 in Europe, two girls were born, fused with their foreheads; this incident was explained by the fact that their mother, being pregnant, accidentally hit her head on the head of another woman. Her fright affected the embryos, which led to the appearance of fused twins. Ambros Paré, a 16th-century surgeon, said that conjoined twins "violate the natural order of nature." He believed that supernatural forces were to blame for the birth of fused twins - the anger of the Lord, the machinations of the devil - as well as the fact that the woman had a too small womb, she wears tight clothes or sits in the wrong position during pregnancy.

Researchers in the 18th century believed that twins, initially separated, fuse, meeting each other in the womb, or develop from one egg, fertilized by two sperm. At the moment, practically no one adheres to these theories.

Scientists at the Frankfurt Institute of Human Anatomy have come to a truly paradoxical conclusion. They were able to prove that the phenomenon of the birth of Siamese twins is a consequence of a psychological disease known as multiple personality disorder.
The study, carried out by German scientists, runs counter to the earlier theory that the appearance of Siamese twins is a consequence of a genetic error, a kind of mutation.
Tests carried out on a group of monkeys made it possible to finally dot the i. As it turned out, 80% of the animals exposed to continuous psychotropic effects during the pregnancy cycle brought Siamese babies.

Siamese twins have always amazed the imagination of those around them. They led to the emergence of Roman myths about the two-faced god Janus and Greek legends about the centaur - half-man-half horse. The first mention of Siamese twins dates back to Armenia in 945, although the current name of this phenomenon appeared only in 1911 thanks to the famous Banker brothers - Chang and Eng (these names in translation from Thai mean "right" and "left"). They were born on May 11, 1811 in Siam (now Thailand). Their bodies were connected in the area of \u200b\u200bthe sternum by a short tubular cartilaginous ligament, but the adhesion turned out to be flexible, so they gradually learned to sit, and by the age of 12, and walk. When the twins became adults, this ligament was 10 cm long and about 20 cm wide.

When the brothers were 17 years old, an American merchant took them to the United States to be shown in show business. There they were offered a surgical separation, but then the doctors considered such an operation deadly. Although the twins were quite limited in movement, they happened to walk 13-16 km, they could run fast, and swam well for short distances. When moving, they seemed to obey common impulses, reacted sharply to each other's state and had similar tastes in everything. Chang, who was 2.5 cm shorter than his brother, wore special boots to make up for the difference. With their tours, the Siamese twins have traveled all over the world. In 1843 they married two sisters. Chang had 10 children and Ang had 12 children. In their entire life, as the brothers argued, they quarreled only once, in childhood, while swimming, when the water seemed too cold to one, and warm to the other.

They died in 1874, at the age of 63. The first to die of pneumonia, Chang-Eng was asleep at that time. Soon, Eng discovered that his brother was dead, and two hours later he also died of intoxication with cadaveric poison.

The Bunker brothers are not the only conjoined twins who have managed to live a long, undivided life. The Scottish Brothers (15th - 16th centuries) and the Bohemian Sisters (19th - 20th centuries) were especially famous.

Rita and Christina were born in the twenties of the 19th centuryin Sardinia. They possessed separate upper body parts, but only one pair of legs.
Their parents brought them to France in 1829 in the hope of making a fortune from anomalous offspring. But they failed to obtain permission to speak in public, and the twins died of hunger and cold. The skeleton of Rita-Christina is kept in the Natural History Museum in Paris.

In 1878born connected by buttocks sisters Rosa and Joseph Blazek. The relatives thought that it would be better if they died, and after birth they did not feed them for several days. However, the girls stubbornly clung to life. And when they grew up, they proved that they had eaten their bread for a reason. Already in 1892, they became famous on both sides of the Atlantic, enchanting the audience with their virtuoso playing the violin and harp.
On April 15, 1910, the sisters were admitted to the hospital, as Rose's belly grew a lot. Joseph's condition was normal. Both vigorously denied the possibility of pregnancy, defending their maiden honor. But pregnancy is difficult to hide, and on April 17 a healthy boy was born.
By that time, Rose admitted that she had a lover, and called his name. He tried to rectify the situation by offering to marry. This sparked a lively debate in the press. Some wrote that sisters should have one husband, because they are connected anatomically. Others believed that because they have two hearts and different affections, they should have two husbands. The dispute was academic, because the laws of none of the American states had a corresponding act. And Rosa's beloved soon disappeared, apparently in search of a more comfortable wife.

The most famous Siamese sisters were Daisy and Violet Hilton. The beautiful girls fused with hips played one of the main roles in the film "Cripples" by Tod Browning. In 1937, they were earning $ 5,000 a week, and their novels served as front page material.
Once, tired of the endless chain of romances, Violetta decided to marry the dancer James Moore. They formalized their marriage in Texas. However, after a couple of weeks, both demanded a divorce.
In 1941, Daisy tried marriage, but her union was just as short: ten days after the ceremony, her husband disappeared.

The tradition of performing on stage was continued by Margaret and Mary Gibb,connected by the buttocks. They loved each other incredibly. They could have been severed with a light operation, but the sisters did not want to hear about it. “We were born like that, and we will die like that,” they used to answer. On January 17, 1967, Margaret died of cancer, dragging her sister into the coffin.

Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapov, born on January 4, 1950in Russia with Catherine and Mikhail Krivoshlyapov. Catherine was first told that her daughters had died, and after a while the compassionate sister showed her the girls. After that, the woman started having mental problems. Mikhail Krivoshlyapov was at that time the driver of Lavrenty Beria. Under pressure from the medical leadership, he signed the death certificates for his daughters and never again wanted to know anything about them. Their spines have grown together, and below the waist, the body is one for two. Moreover, each brain controlled only one leg.

Medicine could not pass up the opportunity to study such a rare case of dicephales tetrabrachius dipus, and the girls were guinea pigs for many years. Physiologist Pyotr Anokhin studied them for 7 years at the Institute of Pediatrics of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
Then they were admitted to the Central Research Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, where their third leg was amputated so that, as the sisters admitted in an interview in 1989, "it does not attract so much attention." There, the girls were taught to walk with crutches and were given primary education.
In 1964 Masha and Dasha were placed in a boarding school for children with motor problems in Novocherkassk. The leadership of that medical institution treated the sisters as mentally retarded, and the other children of the Krivoshlyapovs despised. The medical staff paid no attention to the chronic nephritis that both girls suffered from. And although at times the pain was so severe that they screamed out loud, the doctors remained deaf.
In 1970, the sisters fled to Moscow. After living for several years in the dental complex of the capital, they turned to the management of the N6 nursing shelter to be allowed to settle there. There they spent the rest of their lives. Shortly before his death, at the invitation of a French company, they visited Paris.
They were brought to the hospital on the morning of April 13, 2003. Masha was diagnosed with acute heart attack. For half an hour, the intensive care doctors tried to "start" the stopped heart.

Defibrillation, adrenaline did not help. 17 hours after Masha's death, Dasha died of intoxication. Dasha was not told that her sister had died. They said she was just "sound asleep." Dasha was getting worse every hour. She complained of headache, weakness. Dasha died at half past four in the morning, in her sleep.

However, not all conjoined twins have such a tragic fate. For example, sisters Abigail and Brittany Hensel- ten-year-old conjoined twins who, physically remaining one, live a completely normal full-fledged life.
They are dicephalic twins, having one torso, two arms, two legs, and three lungs. Each has its own heart and stomach, but the blood supply between them is common. Two spinal cords end in one pelvis, and all organs below the waist are common. Such twins are very rare. Only four pairs of surviving dicephalic twins are recorded in the archives.

Each sister controls an arm and a leg on her side, and each only feels touched on her side of the body. But they coordinate their movements so well that they can walk, run, ride a bike and swim. They learned to sing and play the piano, with Abby playing the right hand and her sister playing the left.
The girls live in a small town in the western United States with their mother - a nurse, father - a carpenter and younger brother and sister. The family runs a farm with five cows, a horse, three dogs and many cats. People living with them in the same town treat them quite normally, and they simply ignore rudeness from strangers. The sisters explain to the curious that they "do not have two heads", but they are, in fact, two different people. This is accentuated by their clothes, which are bought in a regular store and then altered to make two necks.

They have different tastes, interests and personalities: Abby hates milk, and Britty loves it. When they eat the soup, Britty won't let her sister sprinkle crackers on half of her. Abby is more aggressive, Britty is more artistic. Abby is better at math and Britty is better at spelling. When they need to reconcile their desires and make a decision, they flip a coin, prioritize their desired actions, or ask their parents for advice. They usually settle differences through compromise, but this is not always possible. There are disputes and even light fights between them. Once, when they were very young, Britty hit Abby in the head with a rock.

When Britty coughs, Abby automatically covers her mouth with her hand. They were watching TV one day and Abby told Britty, "Are you thinking the same thing as me?" Britty said yes and they went to the bedroom to read the same book.
Parents tell them, "You can do whatever you want." Both want to become doctors when they grow up. Britty says she wants to get married and have children.

Another pair of merged twin sisters, each of whom is quite happy with life and does not lose heart - Laurie and Dori (aka Reba) Shappelborn in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1961. They have grown together with a portion of the skull and scalp, and they have a common blood supply to the brain. Reba is paralyzed from the waist down, and Laurie takes her in a special chair. These twins look in different directions and, perhaps, therefore, see life from different perspectives: Lori is sociable, Reba is shy; Laurie loves TV, shopping and candy, but Reba doesn't. Laurie cuts her hair short, and Reba dyes it golden and wears curls.

Each of the sisters has her own career. Laurie worked as a clerk and nanny in the reception area. Reba dreams of becoming a country singer. Her special accomplishments have been recognized by the Los Angeles Music Incentive Program, which supports young performers. Program Manager Alfred Bowman expressed his admiration for her talent and ability to perform in such difficult conditions.
Gemini believe that in many ways they are the same as everyone else. They have developed effective ways of keeping each other's privacy apart. They usually devote themselves to Laurie's career; but now Laurie is working part-time and the Reba will have more time to develop her talents. When Reba sings in the studio or at concerts, Laurie becomes passive and lets her sister do her thing.

On the other hand, Laurie wants to get married and have children. And in order to allow Laurie to have a privacy, Reba becomes quiet and her thoughts are carried away, so although she is here physically, she is really absent. “The young man gets used to it,” says Laurie. "If he wants to be with me, he has to get used to the fact that she is always there."

And some information about recently born Siamese twins ...

03.10.2001 The doctors of the city of Shanghai are faced with a rare case in medical practice. They found the fetus of "Siamese twins" in the abdominal cavity of a newborn premature girl.
Immediately after the birth of the child, doctors discovered an unknown "solid formation" in her stomach. The CT scanner made it possible to clarify what it really was.
After a successful operation, the fetus of "Siamese twins" with fused spines was removed from a five-day-old girl.

According to experts, the girl's mother was pregnant with triplets. However, for a number of reasons still being specified, two of the three fetuses began to develop in the womb of the third child.

12.07.2002 Two Siamese twin girls were born at the Kirovograd Regional Hospital. The doctor on duty at the pathology department of the children's regional hospital, Vladimir Kolod, said that the newborns were in his department.
According to Kolod, this is the first case of the birth of Siamese twins in his medical practice. “This is my first case in 30 years,” he said.
According to the Committee of Voters of Ukraine, the birth of Siamese twins in Kirovograd is the first case in the history of independent Ukraine. The twins have grown together with their bellies and chest cells. The total weight of the twins is 5 kilograms 300 grams.

23.06.2003 The unique Siamese twin girls were born in the Argentinean city of San Juan: they have a common heart, common lungs and genitals, but two heads, stomach and spine. At the same time, together with the twins, a completely healthy boy was born. Doctors believe that this case has no analogues in world practice.

The caesarean section, which allowed the newborns to be delivered to a 25-year-old woman in their poor family, was performed at the Rawson Maternity Hospital. The director of the medical institution, Gonzalo Medina, said that "he cannot say anything about the future of Siamese twins," although they are developing well so far. "
"Although all metabolic and physiological functions in girls are functioning," said Medina, "within normal parameters," he himself and 23 other doctors involved in unusual births and caring for newborns believe that "any attempt to separate twins is incompatible with saving their lives. "

Summing up, we can conclude that conjoined twins have a lot in common with other twins. They have a close emotional connection, which is further enhanced by the fact that their bodies are connected. And, like other twins, fused twins need to overcome the limitations imposed by this connection - they need to develop their own tastes and talents and become personalities. As you can see from the above small excursion into history, many succeeded and they lived and live a full, interesting life.

According to statistics, several hundred Siamese twins are born on the planet every year (this is approximately one case for every 200 thousand newborns). Why this happens is an unsolved mystery of nature.

Who are they and why are they called that?

Siamese twins are two children born with fused different parts of the body.

According to the laws of intrauterine development, such children are always identical (that is, two fetuses develop from one fertilized egg) and, accordingly, are always of the same sex (mainly female).

In newborns, there are both joint organs for two, and an individual organo complex for each, while fusion can be in any part of the body.

It is the presence of "own" organs and parts of the body that determines the possibility of operational separation of the pair later.

Each case is always unique.

The Siamese twins got their name from the birthplace of the first famous pair of boys in 1811. This happened in the city of Siam (now Thailand).

Reasons why they are born

Scientists and doctors still cannot say for sure how such developmental anomalies are obtained.

Theories and assumptions are put forward that the fault is:

1. disorders at the genetic level;
2. interaction of a pregnant woman with poisons, toxins or drugs;
3. negative impact of environmental factors;
4. long-term depression and nervous disorders of the expectant mother (the version appeared after a laboratory experiment with monkeys);
5. late childbirth (after 40 years, the risk of pathologies increases);
6. diseases of the woman's reproductive system before and during childbearing (the opinion of embryologists);
7. closely related marriages of parents (the version is based on statistics of perfect marriages in the world and children born - for example, in Asian countries, fetal malformations are most observed).

Usually, after fertilization, a normal egg is actively dividing and dividing.

In the case of identical embryos, separation should take place on the 5th day of development. But if this does not happen before the 13th day, then it remains so. Subsequently, two fruits develop, connected to each other.

That is why it is so important for women in the first trimester of pregnancy to meticulously monitor their diet, not to get sick and lead the most healthy and sparing lifestyle.

Splicing types

Several types of conjoined twins have been identified. Each type of fusion has its own scientific definition.

Heads (craniopagi) and faces

Fusion of children with skulls, but with separate normally developed bodies. It happens in 2% of cases.

Craniopagi

In this form, operative separation is feasible, but carries a high risk of death, since there is brain damage.

Polycephaly (multi-headed)

A phenomenon in which there are 2 or 3 heads with 2-4 arms on one body.

Police (dicephalics)

Pelvis (ischio-omphalopagi) and sacrum (pygopagi)

When children are connected by spines, they look like the letter Y. They have 4 arms, 2 or 3 legs. In this type, a feature is the general system of isolation and reproduction, so their separation is sometimes impossible.

Pygopagi

Spins (iliopagi)

This is the fusion of the abdominal cavities, backs and buttocks. Occurs in 19% of the total number of "Siamese".

Iliopagi

Heads and backs (cephalothoracopagi or craniothoracopagi)

When there is a connection between heads and bodies. These children are not viable.

Cephalothoracopagi

Chest (thoracopagi) and sternum cartilage (xyphopagi)

When conjoined twins look into each other's faces and are connected by the chest part. They have common organs (one heart, lungs), which makes separation impossible. Pathology occurs in 40% of cases.

Thoracopagi

Chest and belly in the lower part (omphalopagus)

A type of fusion, when each child has its own heart, but the liver, diaphragm and digestive system are common. It is this fusion that is most successfully operated with a certain training of specialists. This anomaly was recorded in 34% of such pathologies.

Omphalopagi

Bokami (parapagi)

In this form, the organs of the chest and abdominal cavities, as well as the heart, can be modified (or be one for two). It happens in 5% of Siamese twins.

Parapagi

Spine (ischiopagi)

Joint in the lower parts of the bodies and fusion by vertebral columns rotated 180 ° to each other. Seen in 6% of reported cases.

Siamese twins can live in their original state for a long time. However, the term and quality of life directly depends on the type of fusion, the presence of normally developed organs and body systems.

If the twins are left to live in a conjoined state (when doctors or parents decide not to carry out an operational separation) and can move independently, live like normal people, then, as a rule, everything is going well for them. They go to school, get an education, find jobs, create families and have children.

Some Siamese twins are becoming famous. There are many examples of this (sisters with one body and 2 heads - Abby and Brittany Hensel, brothers connected by a chest - Chang and Eng, long-living brothers from the Guinness book - Ronny and Donnie Galion, craniopagi sisters Lori and Reba Shpappel).

However, all movements are not easy for such people and they have to learn to control their bodies for years. In the presence of a common nervous system, the most difficult thing is to coordinate their movements, since each of their twins is only able to sense part of the body.

But, having the desire to "live like everyone else," they are able to learn to ride a bicycle and drive a car, play musical instruments.

Relationships of different characters also turn out to be difficult (they also conflict, swear, reconcile and take offense at each other).

When health problems arise, both suffer. But symptoms of the disease appear first in one person, and after a few hours or days in a second.

But the most difficult thing for the "Siamese" is their perception by others. Due to frequent medical examinations, they have to travel a lot to medical organizations and change their place of residence. And frequent changes in the environment and environment do not always mean a cordial and understanding attitude of neighbors.

Separation

If Siamese twins are born, then the first desire of the parents is to separate them while saving the lives of both babies. But this is not always possible.

Each case is considered by a consultation of specialists, after which the parents are informed about all the risks and their consent is taken:

• If the twins' bodies are formed anatomically correctly (symmetrically), there is a necessary complex of organs, and the state of health is normal, but there is fusion through skin tissues, then the outcome of the operation is more likely to be positive.
• In other cases, doctors have to observe a lack of internal organs., limbs for two people or a strong interlacing of blood vessels and nerve fibers. And this greatly complicates the process of deciding on the operation.
• Surgical separation of twins connected by heads is considered the most difficult. Because they often have one brain that cannot be divided.
• If the twins are asymmetrical (that is, one is larger and stronger than the second and there is one organo complex), then the possibility of separation is considered in order to save a stronger twin. In this case, the second child becomes doomed to death in the operating room. If this is not done, then the natural death of the weak will entail the inevitable departure of the second person.

The risks of death are increased due to large blood loss during the operation. And later, a number of necessary plastic surgeries, skin transplantation are coming.

Siamese twins are considered impossible for separation (with the survival of both):

• with one common spine or spliced \u200b\u200bfrom two;
• with one set of vital organs (heart, lungs, digestive tract, brain, urinary system);
• multi-headed with one body.

Considering all the possible risks, parents have to make the most difficult choices.

The consequences of operative separation can be positive for both children, 50-50 (only one survives), or negative for both.

This is followed by long-term rehabilitation, plastic surgery, prosthetics, colossal work of doctors, relatives and certainly decent financial expenses.

From a medical point of view, the operation will be considered successful if at least one of the twins survives. To date, successful outcomes are observed in 65–80% of cases.

If you leave everything in its original form, then the chances of a long life for a couple become even less. Most of the Siamese twins do not live up to 1 year due to pathologies of organ development.

Other data indicate that the mortality rate of unseparated twins is much higher than that of operated ones. If the surgical separation is not carried out in a timely manner, then severe disorders develop, and the risk of a successful outcome of the operation decreases significantly and sometimes reaches the impossible.

When possible?

It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally. Only after a complete deep and comprehensive study of the health status of newborn Siamese twins, the community of doctors determines the optimal time for the operation.

The theory is logical that it must be done at an early age in the phase of active growth of organs and skeleton.

When was the first?

The first successful separation operation took place in 1689. The German surgeon Koenig separated a pair of twins, fused in the lower back.

But modern microsurgery does not stand still. Recent years have been marked by the opportunity to separate craniopagus and children with one heart.

So, in February 2007, in Bangkok, for the first time in the world, the separation of 9-month-old sisters, fused with hearts and liver, took place. Previously, no one was able to carry out a similar operation with a successful outcome and survival of both girls.

How is the operation going?

After a long examination of the state of health of both children, doctors determine the sequence of actions, having gathered a council of different specialists.

Using modern technology, doctors resort to creating a 3D model of the operated area to illustrate what they will have to face in the operating room.

If there is a need, skin flaps are grown in advance, which will close large defects. This, for example, is done with belly fusion. During preliminary operations, a medical implant is inserted under the skin, and over time, the skin stretches, these excess will then be useful in the process of separating children to create new abdomens. The implants are then removed.

The separation operation usually involves several dozen surgeons, anesthesiologists and nursing staff, as well as a lot of special equipment for instant observation. Duration - from 7 hours or more.

Operation stages:

1. introduction to anesthesia;
2. incisions of the skin and underlying tissues;
3. stopping minor bleeding by coagulation;
4. further, depending on the type of fusion (penetration into the thoracic / abdominal cavity is carried out, the cranium is opened, areas of fusion of the skeleton are exposed);
5. unraveling and distribution of organs between twins;
6. separation of blood vessels and nerve fibers;
7. layer-by-layer wound closure;
8. suture and drainage;
9. transfer to intensive care.

Who was successfully divided?

Known cases of recent years of successful separation of the "Siamese" with the survival of both children:

1. Esabelle and Abby Carlson, were born with joined bellies and intermixed organs. The 12-hour operation with 17 surgeons was successful in May 2006. After 10 years, the sisters look like ordinary children, lead an active lifestyle, do gymnastics and do not differ from their peers.
2. Jadon and Anias MacDonald, fused heads. They were operated on by more than 60 doctors in 2016 at the age of 1 year and 1 month. After 2 years, babies are actively growing and developing. True, one of the brothers is limited in movement, the second is not much different from his peers, but the parents believe in a bright future, not doubting their decision.
3. Anna Grace and Hope Elizabeth Richards fused with bellies. They were successfully operated on at the Texas Children's Hospital on January 13, 2018. The babies were 1 year old at the time of the operation. 75 medical workers participated. Currently, girls are being actively rehabilitated.
4. Conner and Carter Maribal, Siamese brothers with one stomach, liver and intestines (fused with bellies). Successfully split in Florida in 2018, although doctors' predictions were only 25% of success. Nevertheless, the separation took place, the one-year-olds are alive and recovering.

The most famous Siamese twins

Due to their peculiarity, some couples, in an attempt to arrange a decent life and financial stability, preferred to engage in public activities, gave interviews to various media, went to work in a circus, and became Guinness book champions. That is why they have become quite recognizable personalities all over the world and have gained many friends and fans.

How many people are there in the world?

Accurate statistics are not kept, but according to rough estimates, about 600 pairs of Siamese twins are born in the world.

Abroad

Abroad, the appearance of Siamese twins has not caused negative outbursts of public opinion for a long time. Many accreted twins, on the contrary, seek to talk about their uniqueness, urging them to be perceived as normal people, and not to make social outcasts.

Sisters from America Abigail and Brittany Hensel

The dicephalic twins were born with a single body, but a double set of internal organs and two heads. Each of the sisters senses and controls only half of the body.

Thanks to loving parents, the girls grew up cheerful, received an education, learned to live independently, drive a car (each of them independently passed the exam for a driver's license).

Having received a teacher education (2 diplomas), Abby and Brittany work as teachers and receive two salaries. They are not afraid of the public and are happy to meet with journalists for interviews. On March 7, 2019, the girls will be 29 years old.

Zita and Gita Rezakhanov

The sisters - ishiopagi from Kyrgyzstan, who had 2 bodies, 3 legs and one pelvis for two were born in 1991.

They were able to separate the girls only at the age of 12 in the Filatov Moscow Children's Hospital under the supervision of the media and the head of Chechnya, who provided financial assistance.

12 years after the separation, Zita died of organ failure. The Gita is developing normally. After leaving school, she went to study at a Muslim college.

The first Siamese twins in history are brothers, after which the very name "Siamese" appeared. They were born in 1811 in the city of Siam (Thailand) with the fusion of the chest cartilage.

The brothers lived a long and happy life, performed in the circus, gained worldwide fame, got married and became fathers with many children (10 healthy children in one and 11 in the second).

They turned to the doctor with a request for separation, but were refused. At the age of 63, Chang contracted pneumonia and died in his sleep. Ang, waking up and finding his deceased brother, also died due to intoxication after 3 hours.

Jody and Mary

The girls were born in England in 2000, fused with a pelvis, but Jody was more developed, while Mary was anatomically completely dependent on her sister.

Doctors have long persuaded the parents to make the separation and save Jody's life. Mary, according to the medical opinion, had no chance of survival.

If no action was taken, the sisters would be doomed to die soon.

Parents could not make a difficult choice. But the court intervened in the situation (the legal case was opened by doctors) and forced to perform the operation.

In the end, the separation was successful for Jody, and, after 19 years, the girl is feeling great. And in her family, another sister, Rose, is growing up.

Iranian craniopagi sisters named Ladan and Lale Bijani were born in 1974.

From the very birth, the sisters were very different in character. With age, their interests and hobbies diverged. Each dreamed of her profession and place of residence. But they were forced to choose legal activity. Having received their education, Ladan and Lale worked as lawyers.

The fused occipital bones caused a lot of discomfort. Dreaming all their lives about separation, they asked doctors about it many times. The refusal was due to high risks.

But only in 2002, a team of 28 doctors (famous and experienced surgeons) performed a 2-day continuous operation and the girls were separated. However, due to the profuse blood loss, the sisters did not live even for several hours. They were buried separately, and their birthday was named "Day of Hope."

Siamese twins from England were born back in 1908, united in the gluteal region. They had one pelvis and general circulation.

Immediately after giving birth, their mother (barmaid) sold the children to her employer. The woman, strictly raising Daisy and Violetta, prepared for them a circus future (taught them dancing and singing) in order to improve their financial situation.

From an early age until 23, they performed in public, generating income for their guardians. Having received "freedom", the sisters worked in vaudeville. They died during a flu epidemic at the age of 62, a few days apart.

Two Irish boys - thoracopagi, were born in 2010. The children had all the necessary organs in pairs, the problems were only with the lower limbs. At the age of 4 months in London, they were able to separate. Operated by 20 doctors within 14 hours.

Now each baby has 1 full leg and a partially formed second, but prosthetics can solve this problem. The parents of the kids are happy that the rehabilitation was very easy and quick. The boys helped each other, holding hands in their mother's womb, and after separation they do not want to be separated.

The famous long-livers of the Guinness Book are parapagos (they have two bodies, paired arms and legs, two stomachs and two hearts, but from the sternum to the groin - everything is one). They were born in 1951 in the USA, where they live to this day.

Having two different characters, brothers are forced to exist together, since separation is impossible.

Their life is quite comfortable. They are looked after by their younger brother, they move around the house on their own, and for long distances - in a special wheelchair.

For a comfortable sleep at home, an individual steel bed is installed that can support their weight of 183 kg and allow the brothers to sleep in a seated position. The hardest thing, in their words, is the understanding of the inevitable death of both in the event of the death of one.

Christa and Tatiana Hogan

The unique craniopagic sisters were born in 2006 in Canada. They are distinguished by a special structure of the common brain. Each girl has her own brain with a well-developed one hemisphere and at the same time connected by a bridge to her sister's brain, which makes operational separation impossible.

Twins are a real miracle for neuroscience, as they are able to feel and control each other. They move well, propping up each other, talk quickly, but mentally lag behind their peers.

Their large, loving family has signed a permit agreement with National Geographic and Discovery TV to shoot a film about their girls in order to help other people facing the same problem.

Nothing threatens the sisters' health, they grow and develop under the supervision of doctors and scientists.

Siamese sisters from Bohemia, born into a full-fledged family back in 1878. Their anomaly is fusion in the pelvic part, one stomach and genitals.

The girls grew up with their mother, performed in public, thus providing for the family. They became famous for their virtuoso playing the violin and harp, as well as their ability to dance, moreover, with different partners. Despite the different habits and characters, mutual understanding was the main feature of the relationship.

At the age of 28, Rose, falling in love with an officer and marrying him, gave birth to a healthy son. The sister did not oppose her sister's wishes, although she herself was also in love, but her fiancé died of an illness.

The idea of \u200b\u200bdisconnection occurred in women when Joseph contracted hepatitis. The doctors offered to save Rose by separating before it was too late. But the sisters made the decision to leave this world together. Which is what happened in 1922 with a difference of a quarter of an hour.

Sahu brothers

Indian brothers - Siamese twins Shivanath and Shivram Sahu - were born in a small village in a large family in 2001. The brothers have 2 legs and a joint at the waist facing each other.

Parents adore their sons and 5 more daughters. The boys learned to walk, ride a bicycle to school and play croquet with difficulty. Nevertheless, they study well.

Only at the age of 12 did doctors offer them separation, but the parents preferred to leave everything as it is, since the birth of such children is considered sacred. The family lives modestly, but very amicably.

In Russia and the USSR

In the Soviet Union, the authorities preferred to hide the appearance of unusual children with anomalies, and under pressure, parents were persuaded to abandon the babies, leaving them to their fate. Particularly persistent mothers did not give in to persuasion and took the newborns, but they had to solve all the problems that arose on their own.

Born on New Year's holidays in 1950, Maria and Daria were ischiopagas (fusion of the abdominal cavity and 3 legs). The tragic fate of the girls brought them many troubles.

The maternity hospital doctors first told the parents that the children had died of pneumonia, later they justified themselves and showed the children. The mother was sent to a psychiatric hospital for 2 years, and the father was persuaded to agree to the “documentary death of daughters” by signing a corresponding statement.

Masha and Dasha, who received a disability, were transferred for study to the Institute of Pediatrics, where for 7 years cruel experiments were carried out on them. Then they were transported to a boarding school for the disabled. The girls lived there most of their lives.

Experiencing difficulties in movement and the removal of one leg, Maria and Daria learned to walk with crutches.

Particularly touching was the moment in their life when, while participating in the filming of the program, they first met their mother (the sisters were then 35 years old). But they kept in touch with her for only 4 years.

The cruel fate also affected the relationship of the sisters. As a result, they passed away in 2003. The cause of death was Maria's heart attack in her sleep, while Daria died 17 hours later in the hospital.

Alina and Alisa Ignatiev

Siamese twins from Novosibirsk were born in May 2016 with a belly connection and one common liver. Since Alina was diagnosed with a heart defect, the separation operation was necessary, but carried a great risk.

The division was carried out in the Moscow clinic of Filatov in the same 2016, but only Alice was saved.

After 5 months, the family was reunited in their hometown. The girl grows up with two older brothers and loving parents.

Anya and Tanya Korkin

Born on April 9, 1990 in the Chelyabinsk maternity hospital. The twins had a belly fusion with one liver for two. It turned out that when my mother was 6 months pregnant.

Since there was no experience of surgical separation of such twins in the USSR at that time, the risks were unpredictable. However, the girls' mother found a surgeon who successfully separated them at the age of one month. Subsequently, he invented and patented his surgical method for the operation performed.

Many years later, full-grown adult girls are always together. They received an education, participate in television programs and live with their mother in their native Chelyabinsk. Dad does not take part in their life, since he left the family after learning about the birth of special children.

Questions

Are they heterosexual?

No, Siamese twins are always identical, and therefore of the same sex. And in 77% of cases - female.

How long do they live and how do they die?

Life expectancy of "Siamese" is individual and depends on anatomical features.

According to the recorded data, most often children do not live up to 12 months without surgery.

The brothers Gelion, born in 1951 and living to this day, are considered centenarians.

The death of the fused twins is very tragic: due to illness and death of one person, the second is doomed.

The “slow die” time is estimated from 15 minutes to several days (based on known case histories). Divided people are no longer dependent on each other and can live long enough.

Have triplets been born?

Among humans, there have been no recorded cases of the birth of spliced \u200b\u200btriplets. However, there is a term "tricephaly", which is supposed to be called double-fused triplets.

How many passports do such people have?

How many passports to issue is determined by the number of heads.

Usually two passports per pair.

Likewise with other required documents: educational diplomas, driver's licenses, health insurance.

Can they have children?

Yes, as history shows, Siamese twins can produce healthy children. They can also be parents with many children if there is no abnormality in the development of the genitals.

Siamese twins, like normally developed children, dream of a complete family and loving parents, with whom they can overcome all obstacles and live not always a long, but bright and happy life.

Zita and Geeta are Siamese twins who were born with fused hip bones and had three legs. The girls appeared in Kyrgyzstan, in a family where there were already healthy children. In 2003, a successful operation was carried out in Moscow to separate them, after which the whole country learned about the incident. And history knows quite a few such people. We want to tell you about some of them.

Why are Siamese twins born?

Siamese twins appear if the fertilized oocyte (egg) has not begun its division on the sixth day of pregnancy. After this period, the cells of the embryo can no longer completely separate into two fruits and their complete separation becomes impossible. The survival rate of such babies is very low, half of them are born already dead and only 10% grow up.

Medicine has divided the possible options for fusion into 15 types, and each got its own name depending on the area of \u200b\u200bfusion:

• Craniopagi - have a fused skull and two normal bodies;
• Dicephaly - one body, two heads and a different number of limbs;
• Pytopagi have a common sacrum.

Many couples live practically full lives. They fall in love, give birth to children and swear with each other:

• Rosa and Joseph Blazek had one genital organ for two, but this did not prevent them from becoming mothers. Rose had an admirer from whom she became pregnant and gave birth to a boy;
• It is, of course, difficult for people who are in the same body to coexist. Especially if they have two full heads. Thus Chang and Eng Bunkers were constantly fighting. The situation was aggravated by the fact that Chang was an alcoholic, and Eng led a healthy lifestyle and constantly condemned his brother.

People have always tried to separate twins. It is known that 200 operations were carried out, but all of them ended unsuccessfully. It was only in 1689 in Germany that the first successful surgical intervention was performed, the children were separated, fused at the waist. In total, 50 successful operations were recorded, after which both or one of the people survived. According to statistics, 65% of cases end with the rescue of patients.

Siamese twins Chang and Eng: parents of this name

The unusual boys were born in 1811 in the kingdom of Siam (present-day Thailand). They were joined at the sternum. Today, doctors would have disconnected them without problems, but the technologies of that time did not allow this.

The grown-up brothers got a job in a circus for a British businessman. They toured with him around the world and their number was a huge success. After the end of the contract, the men moved to America and signed a contract with another circus, which became known as " Siamese twins».

Thanks to these brothers and their fame, all subsequent cases of the birth of unseparated children received this name.

The brothers were completely independent people and were even able to arrange a personal life, have children. Chang had 11 of them, Eng - 10.

They died of pneumonia at the age of 63.

Siamese twins Masha and Dasha

Girls Maria and Daria were born in 1950 in an ordinary family. When the doctors delivered and saw the children, they took them for research and did not tell the mother what had happened, but told her that the babies had died.

The sisters were ischiopagas - they had a common abdominal cavity and pelvic bones, as well as two heads and three legs.

Physiologists began to study girls. In the center of traumatology, they were taught to move using crutches, they were educated. It was decided to amputate the third leg when they grew up. But all the same, movement was given to them with difficulty. Therefore, the girls could not exist independently and lived on a disability pension.

The surgeons wanted to separate the women, but they flatly refused the operation.

Masha and Dasha suffered from alcoholism and soon they had a whole bunch of corresponding diseases: cirrhosis of the liver, pulmonary edema. In 2003, Maria's heart stopped, but Dasha did not notice anything, thinking that her sister was sleeping. Soon she died too. In total, women lived for 40 years.

Conjoined twins Abigail and Brittany

Other unique people are Abigail and Brittany Hensl from the USA. This is the very rare case when physically connected girls can live a fulfilling life. Women are a rare species dicephalouswhich have a common circulatory system, one torso, two heads and limbs, as in a normal person. Each is responsible for its own part of the body and limbs.

They are so good at mastering coordination that the girls were able to learn to ride a bike and drive a car.

In addition, Abigail and Brittany graduated from university and got a job as a primary school teacher. The only drawback in this is that they are paid one salary, since they work for one. But at the same time, the sisters claim that they are completely different. Sometimes they quarrel and even fight a little, but more often they resolve issues by compromise.

The girls were born in 1990 and live with their parents. They are completely independent, go in for sports, communicate with friends, love to cook. This is one of the amazing cases of such a full-fledged existence of Siamese twins.

The Galion Brothers: Oldest Twins

Men are the oldest twins to date. Ronnie and Donnie were born in 1951 in the USA. After the birth of unusual boys, doctors were looking for a way to separate them for a long time, but any operation was associated with a huge risk to the lives of children. Therefore, the parents refused the help of doctors and took the children home.

At the age of 4, the boys were hired to work in a circus, they brought a good income to the family. The parents wanted to send the brothers to school, but they were kicked out of there, as they interfered with the study of the rest, attracting everyone's attention.

Then the guys returned to the circus, where they worked until they were 39 years old. After that, already grown men went to live with their healthy brother Jim. His family welcomed Ronnie and Donnie and organized the house so that they could navigate it.

Ronnie and Donnie have 4 arms, 4 legs, two hearts, each has a stomach. But the intestines are one, as well as the genitals. The latter, interestingly, is run exclusively by Donnie.

The twins had health problems and suffered a serious infectious disease with complications. Today their lives are out of danger, and they have already outlived Chang and Eng, celebrating their 66th birthday.

So, we told you who the Siamese twins are, which couples became famous. Zita and Geeta are one of the few who have undergone a difficult separation operation. We've told you stories of other extraordinary people. Each of them is unique and tragic in its own way, but this does not prevent them from living a full and happy life.

Video: top 5 most unusual couples

In this video, Denis Venin will show 5 of the most unusual pairs of Siamese twins, tell you why they became famous:

Once the fate of all Siamese twins was the same - to serve the audience for fun. Today's world is not so cruel, but not many of these twins become happy. We would like to tell you about the difficult and often tragic fates of these people.

Siamese twins are identical twins who are not completely separated during embryonic development and have common body parts and / or internal organs. The likelihood of such people being born is about one in 200,000 births. More often girls are born as Siamese twins, although the first two pairs of the most famous Siamese twins were born as boys. But if you discard science and “turn on” feelings, then you will not envy the fate of these people.

1. Unnamed Siamese twins

The earliest case of the birth of Siamese twins was scientifically recorded and dated to 945. This year, two fused boys from Armenia were brought to Constantinople for examination by doctors. A pair of unnamed Siamese twins managed to survive and even grow up. They were well known at the court of Emperor Constantine VII. After the death of one of the brothers, doctors made the first ever attempt to separate Siamese twins. Unfortunately, the second brother also failed to survive.

2. Chang and Eng Bankers

The most famous pair of Siamese twins were the Chinese Chang and Eng Bunker. They were born in 1811 in Siam (modern Thailand). Later, all twins born with such a physical anomaly began to be called "Siamese". Chang and Eng were born with fused chest cartilages. In modern science, this type is called "xyphopagic twins", and such twins can be divided. But in those days, the boys had to perform in the circus for the entertainment of the public in order to survive. For many years they toured with the circus under the nickname "Siamese Twins" and became famous all over the world.

In 1839, the brothers stopped performing, bought a farm and even married two sisters. They had completely healthy children. These famous brothers died in 1874. When Chang died of pneumonia, Eng was asleep at the time. When he woke up and found his brother dead, he also died, although before that he was healthy.

3. Millie and Christina McCoy

Another famous case of the birth of Siamese twins occurred in 1851. In North Carolina, a pair of Siamese twins, Millie and Christina McCoy, were born into a family of slaves. When the babies were eight months old, they were sold to D.P. Smith, the famous showman. It was assumed that when the girls grow up, they will be used for performances in the circus. They started performing at the age of three, they were known as the "Two-Headed Nightingale". The girls had a musical education, sang well and played musical instruments. The sisters toured until the age of 58, and died in 1912 of tuberculosis.

4. Giovanni and Giacomo Tocci

Siamese twins Giovanni and Giacomo Tocci were born in 1877 in Italy as dicephalic twins. They had two heads, two legs, one torso, and four arms. They said that after seeing the kids, their father, without experiencing the shock, ended up in a psychiatric clinic. But resourceful relatives decided to take advantage of the misfortune and forced the boys to perform in public. Only Giovanni and Giacomo disliked this and did not respond well to "training". They never learned to walk, as each head had control over only one of the legs. According to some sources, the Tocchi brothers died at an early age. The famous writer Mark Twain described their difficult life in one of his stories.

5. Daisy and Violetta Hilton

These girls were born in 1908 in Brighton, England. They fused in the pelvic area, but they did not have any vital common organs. At first, their fate was extremely sad. From birth they were doomed to perform in various show programs. The twins were bought by Mary Hilton from their barmaid mom, and they began their first performance when they were very young. The girls sang and played musical instruments, touring throughout Europe and America. After the death of Mary Hilton, her relatives began to "take care" of the girls. And only in 1931, Daisy and Violetta were able to get the long-awaited freedom and 100 thousand dollars in compensation through the court.

The twins continued to perform and even came up with their own program. They toured when they were already elderly and even starred in two films, one of them was biographical and was called "Bound for Life".

Daisy and Violetta Hilton died in 1969 from the flu. Daisy was the first to die, and Violetta remained alive for some time, but she had no opportunity to call anyone for help.

6. Simplicio and Lucio Godin

These two boys were born in 1908 in the city of Samar in the Philippines. The case is unique in that they fused with cartilage in the pelvic region back to back, but at the same time were so flexible that they were able to turn to face each other. When the twins were 11 years old, they were taken to his upbringing by the rich Filipino Theodore Yangeo. He raised the boys in luxury and provided them with a good education. In 1928, Simplicio and Lucio married twin sisters (not Siamese) and lived a happy life until 1936, when Lucio contracted pneumonia and died. The decision was made to perform an emergency surgery to separate the twins, but Simplicio contracted spinal meningitis and died 12 days after his brother's death.

7. Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapovs

The most famous Siamese twins of the USSR Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapov were born on January 4, 1950. Their tragic fate is known to every Soviet person. The sisters were born with two heads, four arms, three legs and one common body. When a compassionate nurse showed the girls to their mother, the poor woman lost her mind and ended up in a psychiatric clinic. The sisters met their mother only when they were 35 years old.

During the first seven years, the girls were at the Institute of Pediatrics of the USSR Academy of Sciences, where they were used as "guinea pigs". From 1970 until their death in 2003, the Krivoshlyapov sisters lived in a boarding school for the elderly. In the last years of their lives, Masha and Dasha often drank.

8. Abigail and Brittany Hensel

Sisters Abigail and Brittany Hensel were born in the western United States, in New Germany. On March 7, 2016 they turned 26 years old. Their life is a vivid example of the fact that, while remaining one, you can live a completely normal, full-fledged life. The Hensel sisters are dicephalic twins. They have one torso, two arms, two legs, three lungs. Each has its own heart and stomach, but the blood supply between them is common.

Abigail and Brittany live with their parents, younger brother and sister. Each of them controls an arm and a leg on their side, and each feels a touch only on its half of the body. But they have learned to coordinate their movements very well, so much so that they can play the piano and drive a car. The inhabitants of their small town know the sisters well and treat them well. Abby and Brit have many friends, loving parents and a fulfilling life. The sisters recently graduated from the university, and each received a diploma. Now they are teaching math in elementary school. Their attitude to life, the ability to overcome any difficulties is a special gift.

9. Christa and Tatiana Hogan

These wonderful babies were born in 2006 in Vancouver, Canada. At first, the doctors gave a very small chance that the girls would survive. Even before their birth, they offered the mother an abortion. But the young woman insisted on leaving the children, and never once regretted her decision. The girls were born healthy, and the only thing that distinguished them from ordinary children was that the sisters grew together with their heads. Twins grow and develop the way children of their age should develop. They speak well and even know how to count. Their parents simply adore them and always say that they are healthy, beautiful and happy.