{"id":158883,"date":"2023-05-23T08:35:04","date_gmt":"2023-05-23T07:35:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buzzsouthafrica.com\/us\/?p=158883"},"modified":"2023-05-23T08:35:18","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T07:35:18","slug":"where-are-conjoined-twins-abby-and-brittany-hensel-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buzzsouthafrica.com\/us\/where-are-conjoined-twins-abby-and-brittany-hensel-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Where are Conjoined Twins Abby and Brittany Hensel Now?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The American conjoined twins Abby and Brittany Hensel are currently living in their home town of Minnesota where they are employed at Sunnyside Elementary School, New Brighton, Minnesota.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Both Brittany Lee Hensel and her twin, Abigail Loraine Hensel are qualified teachers with Bachelor\u2019s degrees in education; the sisters teach fourth and fifth grades. They sparked a lot of public interest after they appeared on the set of Oprah Winfrey Show and since then, they have made so many other media appearances. The girls have expressed their wish to get married one day but are currently single.<\/p>\n

When were the Conjoined Twins Born?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Conjoined
Brittany and Abby during their younger days<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Conjoined Twins, Brittany Lee Hensel, and Abigail Loraine Hensel were born on the 7th of March 1990. The duo\u2019s year of birth indicates that they are currently 34 years old. The records captured their place of birth as Carver County, Minnesota in the United States which makes them American by nationality.<\/p>\n

The twins were born to Mike Hensel who works and earns a living as a carpenter cum landscaper. Their mother, on the other hand, has been identified as a registered nurse called Patty Hensel.<\/p>\n

Far from being the only children born to Patty and Mike, Abigail and Brittany spent their formative years with two siblings, a brother, and a sister, though their identities are not known.<\/p>\n

What Condition were Twins Abby and Brittany Hensel Born With?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Hensel sisters are dicephalic parapagus twins. What this means is that they have two distinct heads that are joined to a single torso. Their condition was declared to be highly symmetric with the appearance of having just one body completely devoid of marked variation\/distinction from typical proportions.<\/p>\n

The conjoined twins sport two heads, two necks, one chest but a bit wider than normal, two arms (there was an extra arm that was surgically removed), and two legs.<\/p>\n

Reports said the Hensel girls came with a rudimentary arm at birth; the arm was stuck between the lowest part of their necks and attached to one of their shoulder blades at the back. The rudimentary arm was not allowed to stay as it was surgically removed but the shoulder blade was left untouched<\/p>\n

Brittany Lee Hensel’s head tilts laterally, sitting at about 15 degrees towards the left while Abigail Loraine Hensel\u2019s tilts laterally outward at about five degrees toward the right. This arrangement makes Brittany appear shorter when the twins are seated.<\/p>\n

Brittany sports a leg that is almost two inches shorter than her sister\u2019s and has the propensity to always walk on tip-toe, making her calf muscle considerably larger than Abigail\u2019s. After they were born, the continued growth of Abigail\u2019s spine had to be surgically stopped after Britt prematurely stopped growing.<\/p>\n

The American conjoined twins were barely 12 when they had surgery to correct scoliosis. The procedure was also to expand the girl\u2019s chest cavity so as to prevent breathing trouble. The surgery was done at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare.<\/p>\n

The Conjoined Twins\u2019 Organ distribution<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the upper part of the conjoined twins’ body, they have individual organs but they share every other thing below with the exception of their spinal cord. Get a detailed list of their organ distribution below.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Two heads<\/li>\n
  • Two spines that merged at the coccyx and also joined at their thorax (chest cavity) by sections of ribs. Scoliosis was corrected by surgery.<\/li>\n
  • Two completely distinct spinal cords<\/li>\n
  • Two arms (originally three, rudimentary arm was surgically removed with the central shoulder blade left in place)<\/li>\n
  • One broad ribcage with two fused sternums; there are traces of bridging ribs. The pleural cavities were surgery expanded.<\/li>\n
  • Two breasts<\/li>\n
  • Two hearts functioning in a joint circulatory system (respiration, nutrition, and medication taken by either of the twins affects both)<\/li>\n
  • Four lungs but the medial lungs are moderately fused; it does not involve Britt’s upper right lobe; there are three pleural cavities<\/li>\n
  • One diaphragm with well-coordinated involuntary breathing, but there is a slight central defect<\/li>\n
  • Two stomachs<\/li>\n
  • Two gallbladders<\/li>\n
  • One liver; right lobe enlarged and elongated<\/li>\n
  • Y-shaped small intestine, sporting slightly spastic dual peristalsis at the juncture<\/li>\n
  • One large intestine (one rectum, colon, and anus)<\/li>\n
  • Three kidneys: two left and one right<\/li>\n
  • One bladder<\/li>\n
  • A single set of reproductive organs<\/li>\n
  • Two distinct half-sacrums converging distally<\/li>\n
  • One slightly broad pelvis<\/li>\n
  • Two legs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Did\u00a0Abby and Brittany Hensel Consider Separation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    According to reports, Mike and Patty considered separation after their twins were born but later decided to go against it. Their reason for avoiding any form of surgical separation was that the medical experts said the possibility of the two of them surviving was very slim.<\/p>\n

    Besides, even as conjoined twins, the possibility of them making it to six years old was also slim. In fact, many conjoined twins have been known to come out stillborn (including animals), and getting to adulthood is something that is considered to be rare. However, Brittany and Abbey seem to have defied all odds to make it to adulthood.<\/p>\n

    As they were growing and developing the necessary skills, Mike and Patty saw that the quality of life the girls live as conjoined twins was much richer than what the surviving twins would have experienced separately. Thus, letting them be was the best decision.<\/p>\n

    Who controls the body, Abby or Brittany Hensel?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    The American conjoined twins share control of their bodies. While the Hensel girls have one spine, stomach, heart, pair of lungs, and two completely distinct spinal cords, each has control of one leg and one arm.<\/p>\n

    During infancy, learning how to crawl, clap, and walk, called for some corporation. They can write and eat both separately and concurrently. Other activities where they must corporate include swimming, running, playing piano, hair-brushing, playing volleyball, driving a car, or riding a bicycle.<\/p>\n

    Each of the twins is responsible for managing their own side of the body as the sense of touch for each person is totally restricted to their body half, however, they may experience a small overlap at the mid-line as it shades off at their midsagittal plane. Besides, the girl on the opposite side will feel stomach aches.<\/p>\n

    The Twins\u2019 Academic Journey<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    There are many who considered Abigail and Britany as one person because of their condition, but they were totally wrong. The Hensel siblings are distinctive individuals with separate choices in everything, including their preferred course of study.<\/p>\n

    Growing up in New Germany Minnesota, the American conjoined twins joined Mayer Lutheran High School, located in Mayer. After completing their high school graduation in 2008, the sisters had a conflict of interest in the courses they wanted to study.<\/p>\n

    According to Naked Stories, one of the twins wanted to become a pilot while the other was considering studying dentistry. However, the fact that they share the same body killed their dreams of going for their chosen professions.<\/p>\n

    At the end of the day, the sister\u2019s shared passion for teaching came to their rescue. Joining Bethel University, Arden Hills, Minnesota, Brittany went for English while Abby studied mathematics. They graduated in 2012 with Bachelor of Education degrees.<\/p>\n