Conjoined twins Abby and Erin Delaney describe their wonderful story
It is rather amazing to occasionally witness a miracle in our world where magic is bound by the laws of reality. When everything seems lost, they occasionally pop up to remind us that nothing in life is definite and that anything can happen.
Abby and Erin Delaney, Siamese twin sisters born in 2016, were a perfect example of that. They were connected at the head.
They were given a 5 to 25 percent chance of survival by doctors, but thanks to luck and advanced medical technology, they experienced a true miracle.
And 6 years after that risky treatment, it’s hard for me not to smile when I see these gorgeous babies…
When Heather Delaney and Riley found out they were expecting a child, they were ecstatic. The young couple, who had been together since they were kids, had dreams of a happy life for their tiny family.
Heather quickly realized she was expecting twins! They therefore prepared for the arrival of twins and everything it entailed with the aid of her sweet husband.
Nonetheless, Heather had a difficult pregnancy that was made even more agonizing by the knowledge that the heads of her children were united.
As the doctors broke the news to the soon-to-be parents, they froze.
We were shocked, Heather said to People. That was awful, she continued. Yet, we were already certain that we would carry the pregnancy to term. Simply put, I didn’t think it was up to me to determine whether they were still alive.
It might surprise you to learn that conjoined twin situations are more prevalent than most people think.
One in every 200 conceptions and one in every 49,000–189,000 births result in conjoined twins. These are undoubtedly high numbers, but given the number of children born each day throughout the world, they are actually more typical than we realize.
The true rarity of conjoined newborns is their mortality rate. Just 18% of conjoined kids survive delivery; the majority of these pregnancies end in miscarriage, which is a sad reality.
Heather, on the other hand, and her husband maintained their optimism. And on July 24, 2016, Abby and Erin were successfully delivered via C-section; they weighed 1 lb. Their faith in the process was rewarded.
The life-saving separation operation was carried out in the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where the infants spent the first 485 days of their lives. Almost all conjoined twins have been divided since the 1950s, with varying degrees of success.
Because Abby and Erin were craniopagus twins, which means that their skulls were joined at the top, it was challenging to tell them apart.
They encountered a significant obstacle when Abby and Erin were going to be separated during a protracted and involved procedure.
In June 2017, 30 medical workers were needed for the procedure, which took more than 11 hours. After everything was said and done, the tenacious group of doctors could claim victory.
Although Abby’s sinuses will be missing some pieces and there are other minor issues to be resolved, overall everything went smoothly. But despite this, the girls showed they had amazing resilience, and their recovery since their separation has been astounding.
The primary surgeons actually had a piece published in the esteemed New England Journal of Medicine since the procedure was such a success. The researchers received praise for the innovative methods they used to modify the girls’ tissue and skulls before surgery.
A better and safer approach was produced as a result of this novel new technique. According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, it made it easier for the sisters to recover because it allowed the researchers to separate the twins while they were younger.
A year and a half after the risky procedure, the twins were leading normal lives, and their parents were unbelievably proud of their daughters.
The children’ future surgeries would require further surgery, which the family was fully aware of. The twins needed additional plastic surgery as they grew older, in addition to skull restoration. The previous year was filled with several hospital visits, appointments, and preparations.
In July 2021, the girls underwent extensive surgery to reconstruct and mend their heads. Since then, Erin’s recuperation has been more challenging than Abby’s, according to their mother.
The Delaney Twins can also be found on Facebook. Heather keeps readers updated on the girls’ progress on her blog.
Their lives have been an interesting adventure with ups and downs. The family suffered a terrible blow when Heather revealed in September of last year that both of her girls had been diagnosed with autism.
“There is such a stigma surrounding those who are autism, and I worry about the girls’ future because of this.” They already have a lot going on, so the challenge of being autistic is added. I started crying when I got that call. I just want the diagnosis to be over with. I am aware that that is irrelevant. Heather added, “However, receiving yet another diagnosis is disheartening. I know the girls are still who they are, and we love them just as much as we did yesterday, if not more.
Abby is “getting closer to walking every day,” according to Heather’s most recent blog post, and Erin is “walking upstairs, running around, and becoming stronger every day.”
My heart is filled to the brim seeing these gorgeous girls, who will be six this year. The twins are extremely special and beautiful, and they are lucky to have the best mother and father on their side.
“We are so proud of the girls and the direction they are going in.” We have never wished for things to be different since we like our daughters in their current state, Heather continues.
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