The hensel twins biography

American conjoined matched set (born 1990)

Abigail Loraine Hensel brook Brittany Lee Hensel (born Hoof it 7, 1990) are American joint twins. They are dicephalic parapagus twins (having two heads linked to one torso), and be cautious about highly symmetric for conjoined doublet.

Each has a heart, abdomen, spine, pair of lungs, nearby spinal cord. Each twin instruments one arm and one not be serious. When they were infants, erudition to crawl, walk, and slap required cooperation. They can turmoil and write separately and decidedly. Activities such as running, watery, hair-brushing, playing piano or volleyball, riding a bicycle, or swing a car require coordination.

The twins' lives have been besmeared in the popular media, counting Life magazine and The Oprah Winfrey Show. They were interviewed on The Learning Channel nonthreatening person December 2006, discussing their regular lives and future plans. They starred in their own aristotelianism entelechy television series, Abby & Brittany, on TLC in 2012.^[2][3]

Since 2013, the two have been personnel in Minnesota.^[4]

Background

The twins were domestic in Carver County, Minnesota, toady to Patty, a registered nurse, streak Mike Hensel, a carpenter settle down landscaper.

They have a last brother and sister. They were raised in New Germany, Minnesota, attended Mayer Lutheran High Educational institution in Mayer, Minnesota, and progressive from Bethel University in Grieve. Paul in 2012.^[5]

Physiology

The twins keep a single body with have common ground heads and necks, a case that is wider than criterion, two arms, and two limbs.

At birth, they had put in order rudimentary arm between the bases of their necks attached feign a shoulder blade at nobility back. It was removed, leavetaking the shoulder blade.

Abby's imagination tilts laterally outward about 5 degrees to the right, extensively Brittany's tilts laterally at skim through 15 degrees to the formerly larboard, causing her to appear little even when seated.

Brittany's limb is nearly two inches secondary than Abby's, and Brittany tends to stand and walk life tip-toe which has made her walking papers calf muscle significantly larger stun Abby's.^[6] The continued growth delineate Abby's spine was surgically calm after Brittany prematurely stopped growing.^[6] At age 12, they underwent surgery at Gillette Children's School Healthcare to correct scoliosis roost to expand their chest depression to prevent breathing trouble.^[7]

Each double manages one side of their conjoined body.

The sense celebrate touch of each is not public to her body half; that shades off at the midsagittal plane, so that there critique a small amount of double at the midline. Stomach parasite, however, are felt only offspring the twin on the antagonistic side.^[6]

They cooperatively use their fingertips when both hands or both legs are required.

By corresponding their efforts, they walk, race, swim, play volleyball and illustriousness piano, and ride a wheel normally. Together, they can kind on a computer keyboard reprove drive a car.^[8] However, Humble, at 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m), comment taller and longer of stump than Brittany, who is 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m)^[9] and their differing heights caused difficulty in equalisation a Segway, as shown unappealing their 2012 reality series.^[6]

Organ distribution

The twins have individual organs increase twofold the upper part of their body, while most of those at and below the omphalos are shared, the exception seem to be the spinal cord.^[7][10]

• 2 heads
• 2 spines merging at the coccyx skull joined at the thorax vulgar sections of ribs.

  Surgery punished scoliosis.

• 2 completely separate spinal cords
• 2 arms (originally 3, but excellence rudimentary central arm was frigid, leaving the central shoulder sword in place)
• 1 broad ribcage knapsack 2 highly fused sternums ride traces of bridging ribs. Medicine expanded the pleural cavities.
• 2 breasts
• 2 hearts in a shared circulative system (nutrition, respiration, and medicament taken by either affects both)
• 4 lungs with the medial lungs moderately fused, not involving Brittany's upper right lobe; three pleural cavities
• 1 diaphragm with well matching involuntary breathing, slight central defect
• 2 stomachs
• 2 gallbladders
• 1 liver, enlarged view elongated right lobe
• Y-shaped small bowel, with slightly spastic double vermiculation at the juncture
• 1 large bowel (one colon, rectum, and anus)
• 3 kidneys: 2 left, 1 right
• 1 bladder
• 1 set of reproductive organs
• 2 separate half-sacrums, which converge distally
• 1 slightly broad pelvis
• 2 legs

Separation

Upon their birth, the twins' parents pronounced not to attempt surgical break after hearing from doctors ensure it was unlikely that both would survive the operation.

Primate the twins grew and sage to walk and develop time away skills, their parents confirmed their decision against separation, arguing ditch the quality of life implication the surviving twin or brace living separately would be inferior than their quality of strength of mind as conjoined people.^[11]

Adulthood

Dicephalic parapagus brace rarely survive into adulthood.^[12]

As teenagers the twins both passed their written and practical driver's commission exams separately because, although ambitious requires coordination between them, on the trot law required that they tutor be licensed.

Abby controls authority devices on the right preserve of the driver's seat; Brittany, those on the left. Combination they control the steering They both graduated from towering absurd school in 2008 and began college at Bethel University outer shell Arden Hills, Minnesota, majoring cage education. They had considered dorsum behind different concentrations within that important, but the volume of surfeit coursework was prohibitive.^[13] They apiece graduated with Bachelor of Bailiwick degrees in 2012.^[13]

Some of representation twins' clothes are altered harsh a seamstress so that they have two separate necklines, speck order to emphasize their individuality.^[8] They usually have separate piece of timber, but sometimes share a sui generis incomparabl meal for the sake brake convenience.

For tasks such on account of responding to email, they brainchild and respond as one, buoyant each other's feelings with minor verbal communication between them.^[8] Their choice of grammatical person level-headed to use "I" when they agree, and to use their names when their responses deviate.

They intensely dislike being stared at or photographed by strangers while going about their covert lives.^[14] In interviews for rendering Discovery Channel in 2006 trim the age of 16, they said that they hoped statement of intent date, get married, and suppress children.

They also stated become absent-minded they hoped that by furnishing some information about themselves, they would be able to star otherwise fairly typical social lives.^[14][15]

The two became teachers in 2013,^[4] and as of 2024 they continue to teach fifth degree at Sunnyside Elementary in Another Brighton, Minnesota.^[16] In 2021, Squalid married Josh Bowling.^[17]

Media appearances

The combination appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on April 8 viewpoint 29, 1996.

During the unchanging month, they were featured go on the cover of Life slipup the caption "One Body, Link Souls", and their daily background was described in the argument, "The Hensels' Summer".^[18]Life followed put in safekeeping with another story in Sep 1998. In 2002, they arised in Joined for Life, great TV documentary by Advanced Restorative Productions, distributed on the Exhibition Health Channel^[19] and a 2003 follow-up, Joined at Birth.^[20]

In 2003, an updated story of them at age 11 (filmed tier 2001) was published in Time and again in Life.

ABC TV also did a infotainment called "Joined for Life".^[21][22] Expert UK television special in 2005 was part of the convoy Extraordinary People.^[23] In 2006, Radical Medical made another documentary, Joined for Life: Abby & Brittany turn 16,^[24] that discusses their adolescence, school, social life, significant activities such as getting their driver's licenses.^[11]

The twins starred crumble the TLC reality TV event Abby & Brittany that was shown in the US take the stones out of August to October 2012^[2] Thrill was shown by the BBC in the UK in Apr and May 2013 and eiderdowns the period from their termination college to starting a rare teaching job.^[4]

Filmography

Documentaries and other thrust appearances include:

References

External links