They were born on March 7, 1990. Doctors gave Abby and Brittany's parents a disappointing prognosis - the Siamese will only live a few years at most. And the sisters managed to refute these prophecies!
One life for two
Abby and Brittany were born in the US state of Minnesota in 1990 with one body and two heads. Contrary to the doctors' unfavorable forecasts, the girls' parents refused to leave them in the maternity hospital, believing with all their hearts that their babies had a future.
Abby and Brittany have been able to control every part of their body since childhood, which makes their life much easier. Twins have two hearts, two spines, two stomachs, different lungs and kidneys. At the same time, Abby and Brittany share one liver, one colon, and one set of reproductive organs.
Considering the fact that the functionality of the girls’ bodies equally depends on both of them, the parents allowed the twins to try themselves in various types of activities and entertainment from childhood. They know how to ride a bike, swim, take care of their general body hygiene, drive a car and much more.
Abby and Brittany attended kindergarten, elementary school, high school, and college. These two girls, despite their external shortcomings, received an education, passed exams at a driving school and even found work.
How do the Hensel sisters live now?
Today they are 28 years old, and they amaze the people around them with their full lives and desire to develop.
Judging by the way of life the girls lead, you can’t say that they are not like everyone else. After graduating from teacher's college, Abby and Brittany went on a trip with their friends across Europe.
Siamese twins were never ashamed of their bodies and tried to convey to the people around them that they were normal, just like everyone else. That is why, for many years now, they have not hesitated to take part in various TV shows, give interviews and publish their photographs on the Internet.
Moreover, now the 28-year-old sisters work as mathematics teachers for middle-aged children, hope to one day get married and even experience the joy of motherhood. Fans of the girls don’t quite believe in the possibility of the latter, but they have already proven a lot to the world, so it won’t be surprising if they manage to give birth to a child!
According to experts, there were only 4 pairs of Siamese twins in the world who had two heads and a common body. All of them, with the exception of the Hensel sisters, died in adolescence due to the development of heart defects and other internal organs. Fortunately, according to the reports of doctors who constantly monitor Abby and Brittany, the girls currently have no serious health problems.
Unfortunately, children with body abnormalities continue to be born in our time. A couple in the US were recently given a new chance at life thanks to a successful seven-hour operation to separate their bodies. Now the babies can each sleep in their own crib, which makes their parents very happy.
Photo: Instagram @abbyandbrittany, Facebook @AbigailAndBrittanyHense
Abigail and Brittany Hensel live in New Germany, Minnesota. They are Siamese twins with a unique body structure. Between them, the girls have two spines, two hearts (a common circulatory system), two stomachs, three kidneys, three lungs and common genitals.
This is only the fourth case recorded in scientific archives in which twins with such anatomy survived. Moreover, each sister feels touch only on her half of the body and can control only one arm and one leg. Incredibly, they manage to lead a completely normal life.
Over 27 years, Abby and Brittany have learned to coordinate their movements so well that they don’t have to deny themselves anything. Without any apparent difficulty, they ride a bicycle, swim, play volleyball and play the piano, dividing the composition into parts for the left and right hands. Moreover, American women even passed their licenses and now can easily drive their own cars.
On top of that, girls also have different heights. Abby is 157 centimeters, and her sister is ten centimeters shorter. Their leg lengths are also different, and Brittany has to wear higher heels or walk on tiptoes to avoid limping.
In general, there are a lot of surprising things about them. “My temperature may be completely different,” Abby says. “We often feel that when we touch, our palms are at different temperatures.” Hobbies, characters and taste preferences also differ. For example, Brittany loves milk, but her sister hates it. When they eat soup, Brittany won't let her sister put crackers on her half.
It often seems to others that girls can read each other’s thoughts. It is common for them to finish a sentence started by their sister. In one of their interviews, they recalled an incident when one of them asked: “Are you thinking about the same thing as me?” It turned out that this was the case, after which the girls turned off the TV and went to read a book. Doctors explain this by the fact that certain parts of their nervous system intersect.
When the sisters disagree about what they should do, they flip a coin, ask their parents for advice, or set the order of the desired actions. But now they can find a compromise relatively easily, and in childhood, Abby and Brittany even fought.
The girls graduated from the university with two diplomas. Now they teach mathematics in high school. But they receive one salary. They have everything in common, even life.
Abigail and Brittany Hensel are conjoined twin sisters living in Minnesota, USA. By the age of 23, they had proven to themselves and the whole world that being in one body and controlling only “their” half, they could lead an absolutely normal, active life. Abby and Brittany graduated from college, traveled the world, drive cars, got jobs, and seem to have nothing to complain about.
Anatomy and physiology
Abigail and Brittany are dicephalic dibrachius parapagus, in other words, they are conjoined twins who share one body, two heads, two arms and two legs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXE3i1rsmwQGiven that girls have two hearts, separate lungs, two stomachs, one liver, one reproductive system and each of the twins is responsible for only one side of the body, they subconsciously (from childhood) have perfectly learned to coordinate the movements of the common body. This is proven by a video of girls driving a car. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciIzQghNNpI
The twins’ friend Kari admires the twins’ teamwork: “They are two different people who have the amazing ability to work together harmoniously, performing basic movements together. For example, I never think about performing these movements, and every day I take them for granted.”
The girls have different heights: Abby (1m 57cm) is 10cm taller than her sister (1m 47cm). Because their legs are also different lengths, Brittany has to stand on her toes to maintain balance.
Their bodies react differently to coffee. Brittany's heart starts beating faster after two cups of coffee, Abby's heart doesn't react to caffeine. They have different body temperatures. And each of the girls feels touch only to her half.
“I can have a completely different temperature,” says Abby, “very often we feel that when our palms touch, they are different temperatures - I become hot very quickly.”
Geminis know each other so well that they very often say the same thing or finish each other's sentences. Doctors explain this by the fact that in some places their nervous systems intersect.
However, there are a number of significant differences between them. For example, Brittany is afraid of heights, but Abby is not afraid. Abby is interested in math and science, Brittany prefers art.
Facts about conjoined twins:
- conjoined twins develop from one fertilized egg, so they are always the same sex and look very similar;
- conjoined twins are a very rare occurrence - 1 case in 200,000 births;
- 40-60% of conjoined twins are stillborn. Female twins survive more often than males;
- it is unknown why the embryo did not complete the process of dividing into two identical twins;
- Despite medical advances, surgical separation of such twins is very rare.
Socialization
Like many 23-year-olds, Abby and Brittany love spending time with friends. They play volleyball, go hiking and go to parties. There is nothing they can deny themselves. They have their own page on social networks: https://www.facebook.com/AbigailAndBrittanyHensel
Recently, Abigail and Brittany Hensel took part in the reality show Abby and Brittany, which aired on TLC on August 28, 2013. The television show follows Abby and Brittany's lives since graduating from university and focuses on the job search process and the girls' travels across Europe. The trip overseas was organized for the girls as a gift for graduating from university: http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/abby-and-brittany
“Everywhere they go, everyone stares at them,” say the twins’ friends. Abby Hensel, in an interview with People magazine, explains that they have long been accustomed to increased attention from others. “We just ignore this fact,” Abby notes.
Education and career
As Bethel University graduates, Abby and Brittany are trying to find jobs as elementary math teachers.
And although they have two licenses that give them the right to carry out teaching activities, the financial issue is considered somewhat differently. “It's pretty clear that we're going to get one paycheck because we're going to be doing one person's job,” Abby says.
“As we gain experience, we will probably return to this issue, since we have two degrees, and we offer two different approaches to teaching - one can explain new material while the other can keep order and answer questions,” Brittany says, “So in that sense, we're doing two people's work.”
Shopping
“We definitely have different clothing preferences,” Abby says. “Brittany prefers a neutral or even formal style, while I prefer something more fun, bright and colorful.”
Abby always wins the debate about what clothes to wear. Brittany is sure that, despite the colorful outfits, her sister is very much like a homebody, while she prefers to spend more time outside the home.
Difficulties of “living together”
Despite the fact that girls live a normal family and social life, study and work like any other young people, there are a number of issues that they prefer not to discuss. Such questions include the question of their personal life. Abby and Brittany deny rumors that Brittany was engaged, calling the rumors a "ridiculous joke." Brittany once said in a television interview that she and Abby wanted to become mothers, but “haven’t figured out how to do it yet.”
Traveling to another country is also not an easy test for them. They have two passports, but one plane ticket because they occupy one seat.
They also always need to be careful in public - very often they become the subject of unwanted photos. The twins' close friend Erin Junkans emphasizes that girls are always on guard because they are never exactly sure how others will react to their appearance and what they might say or do. “I have to make sure they are safe at all times. I always watch how the girls react to the crowd,” Junkans says. “In a number of cases, when the attention on them exceeds the acceptable limit, we are forced to leave the place, and they amaze me with their ability to just shrug it off and continue to do what we came to this or that place for.”
Was surgery possible?
Any operation to separate conjoined twins is a very complex and often dangerous medical procedure. In the case of Abigail and Brittany Hensel, it was a risk that the girls' parents were not willing to take due to fears that the twins would not survive or that their quality of life after surgery would be significantly different from the quality of life they have today.
Challenge to fate
Today, Abigail and Brittany Hensel are defying fate. They became the 12th pair of conjoined twins to reach adulthood. Mom Patty Hansel says her hopes for her daughters' futures are no different from those of other children: “We decided to do reality TV because it's fun. Besides, we have nothing to hide - you can see who we are and how we live - just like other people. Like any mother, I want my children to be successful, happy and healthy people. They're happy and successful, and that's exactly what I want."
Abby says: “It's really funny to see people say, 'Wow, they can do what we do, they have friends, and they're always busy. What we do is normal, and our lives are no different from the lives of other people.”
Today, Abby and Brittany begin their adult lives. They want to enjoy every day and are not going to make far-reaching plans for 10 years in advance.
Working as teachers in a primary school, they not only became an example for their students in academic terms, but also a life example - a living example of overcoming difficulties and gaining the opportunity to live a full life in one body.
“I don't think there's anything they can't try if they really want to,” says Paul Goode, the principal at Abby and Brittany's school. “And the most important thing is that they can teach children a lesson in survival, especially those children who are currently on the verge of difficulties and experiences - only a living example can teach the real struggle for a decent life.”
Siamese twins Abigail and Brittany from the USA graduated from university and began teaching at school
Sisters Abigail and Brittany Hensel are Siamese twins. On March 7 they turned 23 years old. Abby and Brit, as their parents and friends call them, have one body for two, two arms, two legs. Not everything is simple with the internal organs: two hearts, but a common circulatory system, two stomachs, two gall bladders, three kidneys, but one liver and one colon, three lungs, but common genitals. The sisters have two spines that converge into one pelvis.
Doctors call such twins dicephalic. Such cases are extremely rare. Only four pairs of surviving dicephalic twins are known to history, and one of them is the Hensel sisters. Now they are the only living dicephalic twins in the world.
Abby can drink gallons of coffee, but Brit's heart rate increases after a few cups.
When Abby and Brit are called a girl with two heads, they quickly correct: “We are two different people with one body!” And indeed it is. Each of the sisters has their own character, their own tastes and preferences in food, clothing, and entertainment, but they have learned to give in to each other.
*Brittany prefers neutral tones, but Abigail, who loves bright clothes, often wins arguments about what to buy or wear
Abigail and Brittany were born in the town of New Germany (US state of Minnesota). Their mother works as a nurse, their father is a carpenter. There are more children in the family - a younger son and daughter. Hensels are very friendly and stand up for each other. They have a large farm, a lot of livestock and other animals.
Doctors persuaded the Hensels to undergo surgery to separate the Siamese twins. The parents had already agreed, but upon learning that one of the girls would definitely not survive, they decisively rejected the offer. Patty Hensel, Abby and Brit's mother, said she would never commit murder. And she challenged fate, for which her daughters are now immensely grateful to her.
As children, they, like most ordinary sisters and brothers, often argued with each other. Sometimes there were fights! One day, when they were very young, Brit hit Abby on the head with a rock. Then they both cried and asked each other for forgiveness. Now disagreements also arise, but the girls resolve them peacefully. If they cannot immediately find a compromise, they simply toss a coin.
What are they arguing about? Yes about everything! “We have different styles,” says Abby. - Brittany prefers neutral tones, pearls and all that. And I would be very happy to wear bright, fun colors.” Of course, they buy clothes together. They go to a regular store, choose models, and then alter them at home - blouses, dresses, sweaters have to have a second neck made. They try to buy clothes without buttons and zippers.
Abby, who doesn't mince words, often wins arguments about what to buy or wear. Brit gets her revenge when the sisters plan a vacation. Abby is a homebody, and Brit loves all sorts of parties, dancing, and movies.
Residents of New Germany know the sisters well and treat them well. And Abby and Brit simply ignore rudeness or unpleasant jokes from strangers. And yet, anything can happen. Erin Junkans, a close friend of the Hensel sisters, says they have to be very careful when they find themselves in a new place. You can’t predict people’s reactions in advance, especially in a club. Someone wants to touch the twins, someone starts taking pictures of them. “And Abby and Brit don’t like it,” Erin says. - My girlfriends and I try to block them from lenses or smartphone cameras. I watch how the girls react to the crowd. When they start to worry a lot, it’s better to leave and change the situation. But I’m always amazed by their ability to immediately shake everything off and continue to have fun.”
Sisters react differently to coffee. Brit's heart races after a few cups, and Abby can drink gallons of coffee. Brit loves milk, but Abby hates it. When they eat soup, Brittany won't let her sister put crackers on her half. Abby is more aggressive, Brit is more artistic. Abby was better at math at school, Brit was better at literature.
Even in childhood, the sisters learned to act in harmony. Each controls the arm and leg on her side, and each feels touch only on her side of the body. And the temperature of the sisters is always different. Abby gets hot quickly, but Brit can get cold at this time.
*Brit controls the right side of the body, Abby controls the left, while the twins coordinate their movements well
Twins of different heights. Abby, whose height is 1 meter 57 centimeters, is 10 centimeters taller than her sister. And their legs are different lengths, so Brit has to constantly stand on her tiptoes to keep her body balanced. But they coordinate their movements so well that they can quickly walk, run, swim, ride a bike, play volleyball and even participate in local team competitions. The sisters sing well and accompany themselves on the piano, with Abby playing parts for the right hand, and Brit for the left.
They are also able to read each other’s thoughts, as they have been convinced of more than once. When Brit wants to sneeze or cough, Abby automatically covers her sister's mouth with her hand. One day they were watching TV when Abby asked, “Are you thinking the same thing I’m thinking?” Brit replied, "Yes." And they went to read the same book.
“Each of us has a diploma, but they pay us one salary between us.”
The Hensel sisters drive the car. They had to test their license twice - each for themselves. But this was about theory. The driving test was passed once, and the instructor was close to losing consciousness. No, his students did a great job, but he’s never done anything like this before 
I saw: the steering wheel seemed to be turned by one person, and the pedals, levers and buttons seemed to be controlled by two different drivers. As a result, two driver's licenses were issued.
“The police rarely stop us, we are disciplined, we don’t break the rules, but anything can happen,” Brittany laughs. - The main fun begins when the patrolman asks to show your license. Whose do you want, we ask, and begin to argue which of us just drove the car.”
The girls have two passports. The sisters love to travel by plane, and every time they have an argument with airline representatives. “We are required to have two tickets because there are two Hensel sisters on the passenger list,” says Abby. - And we answer that we occupy one seat in the cabin. So why do we need two tickets?
The sisters recently graduated from university. They each received a diploma and teach mathematics in elementary school.
“We were hired without any problems,” says Brittany. - But we immediately realized that they would pay us one salary, because we perform the duties of one person. We don't agree with this. One can teach a lesson or listen to students’ answers, while the other monitors discipline or checks notebooks. So we do more work than other teachers. Maybe over time, when we gain experience, we will be able to achieve a salary increase. Still, we have two diplomas.”
Principal Paul Goode is pleased with the new teachers. “Abby and Brit are already role models for their students,” he said. - And I’m not just talking about the knowledge that they pass on to children. Their attitude to life and ability to overcome any difficulties is a special gift. Children feel it immediately. Sometimes it seems to me that these girls can do anything. They will achieve whatever they want."
The Hensel sisters are very sociable and easy to get along with. But there is one topic that they do not like to discuss. This is their personal life. A couple of years ago, one of the American newspapers reported that Brittany was engaged. The sisters called it a "stupid joke."
Patty Hensel also tries to avoid the topic. In April, while her daughters were being filmed by a BBC crew, she told reporters: “Every mother wants her children to be happy, healthy and successful. I can say for sure that Abby and Brit are happy and successful. And that's all I want!
4 July 2017, 14:56Sisters Abigail and Brittany Hensel are Siamese twins who live in the United States. Now the girls are 23 years old, and they have managed to prove to the whole society that it is possible to live with one body for two and control only “their” part of the body. And this life is no different from the usual existence of other people. Brittany and Abigail finished their studies at the university, travel to different parts of the world, drive their own cars, and work. We will tell you in today’s material how Siamese twins live now and what features and differences they have.
Anatomical and physiological features
Abby and Brittany have 2 heads, 2 arms and legs. But they have one body. How are internal organs divided in girls? It turns out that they have separate hearts, lungs, stomachs, but one liver and reproductive system for two.
But they both learned from childhood to have excellent control over general movements, despite the fact that Abby and Brittany are responsible only for “their” side of the body.
Abby's height is 157 cm, and Brittany's height is slightly shorter - 147 cm, and she tries to rise on her toes while standing on both legs.
When the girls drink coffee, Brittany's heart rate increases, but Abby does not feel any changes.
Girls have different body temperatures, and they also feel touches on “their” part of the figure.
The sisters have studied each other so well that they can often complete words and phrases one after another. Doctors say this is due to some intersections in their nervous systems.
But the girls also have distinctive characteristics: Abby, for example, is not afraid of heights at all, but Brittany is terribly afraid of more or less high surfaces.
Conjoined twins develop from a single fertilized egg, and they are very similar in appearance and are born of the same sex.
Siamese twins are not very common in nature - only 1 in 200,000 cases.
Unfortunately, conjoined twins are born dead in 40-60% of cases. Boys, unlike girls, most often do not survive.
Doctors cannot give a definite answer why two identical organisms in the womb do not completely separate at the embryonic stage.
Although surgery in the world is developing by leaps and bounds, it is very rare to successfully separate conjoined twins.
Social aspect
Abby and Brittany enjoy playing volleyball, hiking, and attending various events. They try not to deny themselves the simple joys of life. Maintain a page in Facebook.
The girls were invited to the TV show “Abby and Brittany,” which takes place in real mode. It aired on TLC back in 2013. The show showed key moments in the sisters' lives: finishing their studies at the university, looking for work and traveling around Europe.
Abby says that she and her sister are used to the fact that their appearance in public causes increased interest. They try not to pay attention to it.
Study and work
Abigail and Brittany are elementary school math teachers. They have two teaching licenses. But as for wages, the girls receive a single payment, since they work as if they were one person.
But over time, as they improve their skills, they think about returning to this point, since the sisters have two diplomas, and they offer different approaches to lessons: one of the girls explains a new topic, and the second answers students’ questions and controls order in the class.
Purchases
The sisters have different tastes in clothes: Brittany loves classic style (clothing in neutral colors), and Abby loves bright colors.
Abby usually wins when it comes to how her sisters should dress up. Brittany says that despite her colorful clothes, Abby prefers to stay at home, and she herself tries to go outside her usual home more often.
Difficulties
It would seem that the sisters live an active and cheerful life, work, meet with friends. But there are also moments that they do not bring up for public discussion. For example, those related to personal life. They denied the news that Brittany was engaged, calling the rumors ridiculous. Abigail once said that she and her sister would like to have babies, but do not know how this can be done.
Traveling is also not entirely comfortable: having two passports for two, they are provided with 1 ticket and 1 seat.
In public, they also have to be as careful as possible, since people can take pictures of girls without their knowledge.
Was it possible to have surgery?
Surgery is always a complex and dangerous medical process. And the operation to separate the twins might not end as successfully as we would like. It was too risky, and the parents of the babies refused it, because they were afraid that they might not survive or would subsequently live worse than they are now.
Life now
Sisters Abby and Brittany are the 12th pair of conjoined twins to survive birth and grow into adult girls.
Their mother, Patty Hansel, says that they have nothing to hide, and they decided to participate in a TV show to show that the twins' lives are the same as other people's. Parents want their children to always remain healthy, happy and successful. They are glad that the girls have this reality to live in.
The sisters do not make grandiose plans; they enjoy every day they live.
The girls have become real models for numerous children: they give hope that everyone can overcome any difficulties and gain a chance for a happy life, even if this life is lived alone.
