In a world where magic is limited by realities, seeing a miracle every now and then is genuinely amazing. They come when everything seems hopeless, reminding us that nothing is certain and everything may change.
The heads of Abby and Erin Delaney, who are Siamese twin sisters, were joined when they were born in 2016.
Doctors indicated there was a 5% to 25% chance of life, but a lot of luck and new medical technology came together to make a real miracle.
Nine years after that risky surgery, you can’t help but smile when you see these gorgeous babies.
Heather Delaney and her partner, Riley, were quite happy when they learned they were going to be parents. The couple, who had known each other since they were kids, could envisage a bright future for their small family.
Heather found out immediately that she was going to have twins! So, with her husband’s help, they were ready to welcome twins and all that comes with them.
Heather’s pregnancy was stressful, and it got worse when it became evident that her babies’ heads were stuck together.
When the doctors told them the news, the parents-to-be froze.
Heather told People, “We were shocked.” “It was terrible,” she said next. But we knew right then that we would keep the baby no matter what. I didn’t think it was my place to decide if they lived or died.
Everyone, don’t forget to wish Heather a happy birthday! -Riley
You might be surprised to learn that conjoined twins are not as uncommon as most people think.
Conjoined twins happen in 1 out of every 200 pregnancies and 1 out of every 49,000–189,000 births. It sounds like a lot, but it’s not that unusual since so many babies are born every day.
The fact that conjoined newborns die so often is what makes them so unusual. Unfortunately, just 18% of kids born with two heads live. Most of these pregnancies end in miscarriage.
Heather and her husband, on the other hand, were still hopeful. Abby and Erin were born by C-section on July 24, 2016, and their trust was rewarded. They were only 2 pounds heavy.
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia was where the babies spent the first 485 days of their lives and had the life-saving separation procedure. Since the 1950s, almost all conjoined twins have been separated, although the results have been variable.
Abby and Erin were craniopagus twins, which means they were joined at the tops of their heads. This made it much tougher to separate them.
Abby and Erin had a significant dilemma when they were going to be separated following a long and complicated process.
The surgery, which lasted more than 11 hours, took place in June 2017 and involved 30 medical professionals. But in the end, the team of doctors who worked hard could say they had done what they set out to do.
Overall, things went well, but Abby’s sinuses will be missing some parts, and there are a few other tiny difficulties to consider about. But the girls showed how strong they were and how quickly they got over the gap.
Because the operation went so successfully, the major surgeons just had a paper published in the well-known New England Journal of Medicine. People also commended the researchers for the unique methods they used to modify the youngsters’ skulls and tissue before the procedure.
It looks like we’ll be in Philly for an extra day because we have to go to a feeding clinic evaluation. Yay! I didn’t think it…
This new way was a major step forward and made surgery safer and better. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia reports that this helped the girls recover healthy because the physicians could separate the twins sooner.
A year and a half after the risky surgery, the twins were living normal lives, and their parents were very proud of them.
Hehe, these two and their faces. I’m so excited for them to smile for pictures again! Thanks, Carol Higgins, for the…
The family always understood that the girls might need more surgery in the future. As the twins got older, they had further plastic surgery and had their heads rebuilt. In the past year, there have been a lot of trips to the hospital, appointments, and preparations.
In July 2021, the girls had a significant surgery to fix and reshape their skulls. Their mom adds that Abby has gotten better following the surgery, but Erin has had a harder time recovering.
You may also keep up with the girls’ progress by following The Delaney Twins on Facebook and reading Heather’s blog.
Their lives are a fascinating journey with ups and downs. Last September, Mother Heather told the family that both of their children had autism. This was a huge shock to the family.
Have a fun and safe Halloween! We will be giving out candy and having fun looking at all the costumes. 🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤
“People look down on people with autism a lot, and that worries me for the girls’ future.” They have a lot going on, and being autism makes it more harder. I cried a lot when I got that call. I simply want the diagnosis to end. I know it doesn’t matter. We still adore the girls just as much, if not more, than we did yesterday. “But getting another diagnosis is just disheartening,” Heather wrote.
Heather stated on her blog that Abby is getting closer to walking every day and that Erin is “getting stronger every day, walking upstairs, and running around.”
Seeing these lovely girls, who will be nine in 2025, makes my heart feel so full. The twins are very special and beautiful, and they are lucky to have the best mom and dad in the world.
“We’re so proud of the girls and how far they’ve come and where they’re going.” Heather says, “We have never wished things were different because we love our girls just the way they are.”
These parents are great role examples for all of us, and those little angels are so cute. May God bless them and keep an eye on them.
