Siamese twins with 2 heads. One life for two: Siamese twins Abigail and Brittany Hensel. Millie and Christina McCoy

The Hensel sisters are Siamese twins, but despite this, their life is not much different from the lives of other people. Their names are Abigail and Brittany. These girls are cheerful, sociable, and they have their own dreams and goals. They, like other children, went to school, studied hard, graduated from university and got a job. But since each sister has her own character, it becomes curious how they get along in the same body.

dicephalic twins

The girls were born on March 7, 1990 in New Germany. They turned out to be conjoined dicephalic twins. It is very rare for two people to have the same torso with two legs and two arms. At the same time, the body has its own difficulties, so they have three lungs. Also, each girl has her own stomach and heart, which are connected by one blood circulation. In addition, they have three kidneys, two gallbladders, one large intestine and a liver. Two spines end in a common pelvis. All organs, starting from the waist, are one for two, including the genitals.

The Hensel sisters are a huge rarity; in history, only four pairs of dicephalic twins were recorded who were able to survive. But to date, these girls are the only survivors. In addition, they lead normal lives.

Anatomical differences

Although the sisters have the same circulatory system, their body temperature is different, and they feel it. Abigail often gets hot, but her sister is often cold at these moments. Twin girls have different heights. Abigail is 1 m 57 cm, but her sister is 10 cm lower. This is noticeable in the location of the head and along the length of the legs. To make the body look more harmonious and balanced, Brittany always stands on her toes.

Who is the master in the body?

Abigail and Brittany Hensel are fused twins, so each girl only controls the part of her body that is on her side. So, for example, Abigail cannot raise a hand that is on Brittany's side or does not feel pain or touch from her side. Despite this, the girls have learned to move smoothly, so much so that they manage to perform movements as if they were one person. Thanks to this, the sisters walk well, can run and ride a bicycle. The sisters also learned to swim and even drive a car. IN school years such coherence helped them to take part in local competitions.

Different people

But the fact that sisters Abigail and Brittany Hensel are different people proves not only the structure of their bodies. Each girl may have her own reaction to a particular product. For example, unlike Abigail, Brittany's heart reacts to coffee and her heart rate increases. At the same time, Brit loves milk, but her sister does not. And if they eat soup, Abby only sprinkles crackers on her soul mate, because the second girl does not like such a mix.

But this is not the only difference between the sisters. These are really two different personalities, each has its own character, tastes, preferences and even dreams. Their views on clothing and choice of entertainment also do not coincide. But since they have to share one body, they have learned to compromise.

girls family

Twins Abigail and Brittany Hensel were born and continue to live in their family. Mom works as a nurse, and dad is a carpenter. Girls are not the only children. Parents decided on the birth of another daughter and son. Their family is very friendly, they, despite the difficulties, are support for each other. There is always a lot to do at home, since the parents own a farm with cows and other animals.

When the girls were still small, doctors strongly recommended that they perform an operation and separate the twins. But that meant that one of the daughters would die. Despite the complexity of the decision, the parents resolutely refused. Mother was not ready to sacrifice one of her beloved girls. Today, Abigail and Brittany are immensely grateful that mom decided to leave everything as it is. And indeed, because the daughters grew up cheerful, sociable and active. Their parents and friends call them Abby and Brit.

How was childhood

Despite the unusual appearance, the parents sent the girls to a normal school. Here the Hensel sisters learned not to respond to ridicule. Although it is worth noting that in the town where they live, they are treated friendly and completely normal.

But one of the main difficulties was for the sisters to learn to yield to each other. Before this happened, they constantly argued, there were quarrels and even fights, like all brothers and sisters. Once in deep childhood, when they disagreed again, Brittany grabbed a stone and hit her sister on the head. But this was a lesson for both, the girls were very frightened and with tears asked each other for forgiveness.

Gradually, Abby and Brit learned to peacefully resolve their disagreements. To do this, they can toss a coin or ask their parents for advice.

The girls did not want to be different from others, so they also pursued their own hobbies. So they learned not only to sing beautifully, but also to play the guitar and piano.

What are the twins arguing about?

It may seem to some, well, what can Siamese twins not share, because they should already learn to feel each other? But Abigail and Brittany Hensel are different people, each of them has their own opinion and it can be difficult to make concessions. For example, it can be difficult for girls to choose a vacation, because Abby likes to stay at home. But Brit can't stay at home because she likes dancing, funny companies, parties, or at least she just needs to go to the movies. In this case, the girl tries to defend her preferences to the last. But sometimes it is difficult for her, because her sister is one of those people who do not need to “reach into their pocket for a word”, she often becomes the winner in disputes.

How to choose clothes

It happens that the Hensel sisters do not agree on what to wear on their bodies, because Abby loves "funny" and bright outfits, believes that jewelry should be original, youthful. But Brit, on the contrary, prefers a restrained style in clothes, neutral shades, and from jewelry - something calm and sophisticated, such as pearls. To get a new thing, they have to negotiate.

The sisters go to ordinary stores in search of things. If they both like a T-shirt or jacket, they buy it and alter it a little at home. If it's a dress or blouse, they make a second neckline. And so the Hensel sisters try to ensure that there are no zippers and buttons on the clothes.

How do girls live in one body

The Hensel sisters (there is a photo on this page) are trying to lead a normal life. They have many girlfriends with whom they spend time. Since it is difficult to sit all your life in a small town, they go to other places. In a new environment, they are helped by friends who try to monitor the reaction of people. The difficulty is that they often want to photograph the twins or just touch them. But such an attitude is unpleasant for girls, friends try to close them from the lens.

Girls like attention, but if it is within the bounds of decency. For example, if a person wants to take a picture, he just needs to come up to say hello and get to know each other a little. In this case, Brit and Abby will gladly smile at the camera.

But if this does not happen, and people brazenly photograph them as a "curiosity", the sisters begin to get nervous and worry. They have to go somewhere else. Despite such a reaction of people, after a change of scenery, the girls are not upset, but continue to have fun, as if nothing had happened. It is worth noting that Abby's character is a little quick-tempered and aggressive, while Brit is softer and more artistic.

Car driving

It seems surprising to many that sisters Abigail and Brittany Hensel, fused twins, can drive a car. Both girls have this skill. Each of them took a driving theory test, but they passed the practice together. Sitting in the driver's seat, both sisters perform their actions, which they agreed on in advance. For example, one presses the gas, the other must press the brake. The sisters have two driver's licenses, each with their own, as well as passports. When they are stopped at the post, the girls ask whose documents to present.

In addition to traveling by car, Abby and Brit fly by plane. But here they often have difficulties, because they are required to present two tickets, because there are two names on the passenger list. But the girls are in no hurry to pay because they only need one place.

Study and work

At the end of school, the girls had another difficulty. Brittany loved literature, while her sister was good at math. They needed to go to university, but in such a way that the interests of the twins were taken into account. As a result, the girls agreed that they want to be teachers of elementary grades. So each sister will be able to teach the subject that she likes.

After graduating from university, Brit and Abby got a job as teachers at the school, but they are paid the same salary, as if two people share the same rate. But the girls do not agree, because they have two diplomas. In addition, while one is conducting a lesson, the other can check notebooks from her classes.

Students enjoy being in the classes with the Hensel sisters. Children learn from them not to give up and have a positive outlook on life.

Sisters Hensel: personal life and dreams

Abby and Brit are sociable and love to talk, but always avoid the topic of personal life. But the fact is that girls and their mother dream of marriage. Somehow in one newspaper a sensation was published that Brittany was already engaged, but the sisters said that this was a “cruel joke”.

Today, girls have gained wide popularity because they are written about in newspapers, invited to TV shows, and even a series was shot with their participation. They are happy, famous and successful people who, perhaps, will soon be lucky, and the sisters will be able to meet a loved one and even become mothers.

Abigail and Brittany Hensel live in the USA. They are the so-called Siamese twins. At the moment they are 22 years old in the American town of New Germany, no one is surprised by the “girl with two heads”. It's two different person with one body. They were born like that, and all the locals got used to it. The girls are very charming, smiling, full of plans for the future, they have friends and various hobbies. However, they are inseparable from one another. As if one person has two similar heads.

They have different tastes, interests and personalities: Abby hates milk, but Britty loves it. As they eat soup, Britty won't let her sister sprinkle crackers on half of her. Abby is more aggressive, Britty is more artistic. Abby is better at math, and Britty is better at spelling. When they need to coordinate their desires and make a decision, they toss a coin, set the order of the desired actions, or ask their parents for advice. Usually they settle differences through compromise, but this is not always possible. Between them there are disputes, and even light brawls. Once, when they were very young, Britty hit Abby on the head with a rock.

Over the years, the sisters developed an intuitive understanding of each other, love for each other. They walk perfectly, even run, while each of them can only control their own leg. They can ride a bike, play the piano, get a license and drive a car (while each of the sisters controls only their own hand). When Britty coughs, Abby automatically covers her mouth with her hand.

The Hensel sisters have 2 heads, 2 arms (at birth they had a third underdeveloped arm, but it was amputated), 2 spines, 3 lungs, 2 breasts, 2 hearts (but a common circulatory system), 1 liver, 2 stomachs, 3 kidneys , 2 gallbladders, 1 rib cage, 1 large intestine, 1 set of genitals, 1 pelvis and 2 legs.

One day they were watching TV and Abby said to Britty, "Are you thinking the same thing as me?" Britty replied, "Yes," and they went to the bedroom to read the same book.

But even if one of the sisters needs the hand of the second sister to express emotions, she will immediately receive it. The sisters act intuitively and synchronously.

Abby and Britty have their mother a nurse and their father a carpenter. The family has two more younger children - a brother and sister of twins.
Bittani says that she would like to have children when she gets married, and both girls would like to do something related to creativity - architecture, fashion, or become doctors.

They are unanimous in their choice of profession. Thus, they will be able to happily go to work in the future, and it is unlikely that any of the employers will refuse them a vacancy. According to American law, this is strict.

Good question - how will the girls spend their salary? But since childhood, they have learned to negotiate with each other in what they will do now, in controversial cases - they throw a coin so that none of them will be offended.
At school, the girls had many friends, but now they have grown up. According to some reports, one of them is dating a guy, no matter how strange it may sound in their situation.

The Hensel sisters live in the most happy conditions for their position. They even had a lovely dog, Sam. About this - see the video that was filmed when the sisters were 16 years old:

There are many amazing people in the world. Some become so on their own, others - because of the whims of nature. The latter are of particular interest. And, perhaps, the most born one was Pascual Pinon (Mexico is the motherland), born in 1889 and died in 1929.

Striking Feature

There was no such person who would look at this man and not gasp in surprise. Which is quite understandable, because Pascual Pinon became famous as a man with two heads. And the photo provided above clearly demonstrates its feature.

Nothing is known about the origin of the man. It was found in Mexico - that's the only fact. Some say that he lived in an Indian tribe. Others claim that he lived alone near the mine.

Once rumors about reached the organizer of spectacular events from San Diego. This impresario was John Scheidler, who instantly became eager to find the "two-headed miracle." And he found it with great difficulty, spending an unmeasured amount of time and effort. And everyone he asked about Pascual pretended not to have heard of such a thing. Some respondents were aggressive. And when John found the man, it turned out that the locals perceived him as a talisman against the Devil. But they did not praise him at all.

Cruel treatment

The inhabitants of that area turned out to be very superstitious miners. The two-headed man was perceived by them as a child of black forces. And they firmly believed that if he was in their power, the Devil would not harm them. Pascual Pinon turned out to be a victim of prejudice - he was put in a small room in a mine drift, given water and food, but kept on a leash. He slept on bunks covered with straw. And he never saw white light.

John rescued the Mexican. He went straight to the “mine chiefs” and assured them that with his filing, the public could find out in a matter of days that an innocent person was on a leash. The superiors became nervous, and the two-headed man was released. Then, even years later, Pascual tried to change the subject as quickly as possible if he was asked about the time spent on a leash.

Appearance to the people

Pascual Pinon, coming out, immediately attracted the attention of an audience of millions. And this can be understood! After all, a second person looked at people, except for the Mexican! It moved its lips, made all sorts of grimaces, smiled, exposing beautiful even teeth (the size of a grain of rice). He had a conscious, chilling look in his eyes. Sometimes the face was angry or depressed. When people tried to ask the man what his “second” part was saying, Pascual Pinon flatly refused to answer.

The most adequate assumption of his such appearance was this: the second head is an underdeveloped twin brother. Which at a certain stage grew together in the womb with Pascual.

Sometimes he participated in performances. When he could be persuaded to do so. After some time, he became an ordinary fakir in the circus, and hid the other head under the top hat. Once he fell during a performance, and the cruel audience pelted the man with tomatoes and eggs. Insulted by this behavior, Pascual Pinon left the circus forever. What happened next? They say the Mexican developed psychic abilities, resorting to which, he began to treat people.

Last years

Pascual spent the rest of his life in a nice mansion. He put a big hat near it - passers-by threw money and made wishes there. People assured: everything comes true, and immediately. Now this hat lies in a museum in Amsterdam next to a wax figure of an unusual celebrity.

It is a pity that Pinon did not live long. He died at the age of 40 due to illness. First she overpowered his little head. Due to illness, she literally withered. Then Pascual himself went to the next world. None of the relatives were present at the funeral. But people still continue to make wishes, believing that the spirit of the Mexican continues to live in the wax figure, fulfilling dreams.

amazing women

There are many other strange people in the world. It is worth talking about some women. Michel Kobke, for example. She has incredible slim waist. Her circumference reaches only 40.6 cm. True, the girl achieved this herself, wearing a special corset for a very long time. And she is not going to stop there.

And Jill Price has an amazing memory - she remembers absolutely every day of her life from the age of 11. Now she is 51, by the way. And if you give her any date since 1976, then she will tell you in great detail what happened then.

It is impossible not to tell about the American Christy Love - the owner of a breast of 48NN-size! It's hard to imagine, but her "dignity" weighs 14.34 kilograms. Now she works as a masseuse, earning about $ 2,000 daily.

And finally, Ashley Morris. A girl who, since the age of 14, suffers from a severe allergy ... to water. She is forbidden to have any contact with this liquid (drinking and washing - especially), otherwise it can lead to death.

One last thing about men

There are many more that cause surprise and admiration. It is impossible not to recall a man named Nick Vuychich.

This is a 34-year-old Australian who, due to a rare pathology (tetra-amelia), is missing legs and arms. There is only a partial foot. And it is thanks to her that Nick now knows how to do everything: walk, ride a skateboard and a surfboard, swim, write and work at a computer.

Also, everyone can be surprised by a Chinese named Yang Guanghe. In 2012, on April 28, he surprised the whole world, because he managed to drag a car weighing 1.6 tons with his eye sockets!

And the Cuban Yoandri Hernandez Garrido is able to amaze with his peculiarity, which is not even immediately evident. And the fact is that a man has 12 fingers on both hands. Fully developed, like everyone else, only the number is different. He likes this feature - many want to be photographed with him, which brings additional income.

Sultan Kösen can also surprise. He impresses with his height, which is 252 centimeters.

And finally, a few words about a man named Chandra Bahadura Dangi. The citizen of Nepal had an amazing height - 54.6 centimeters! And his weight was about 14 kilograms. lived Chandra long life- died at the age of 75 in 2015.

Abby and Brittany Hensel are one of the most famous Siamese twins, especially in the US, where they even filmed a reality show with them. The 26-year-old sisters conquered the Americans by becoming the embodiment of the real confrontation between the two different personalities, by the will of fate chained into one body. Yes, Hensel has one body and two heads, which is why they are called "the girl with two heads." But they have a few more features:

1. They have one body, but different vital organs. Each of the sisters has its own heart, stomach, lungs, and even spine and spinal cord.

2. Each of them controls their half of the body and one arm and one leg.

3. Because of this, it was difficult for them to learn to crawl, walk, do something with their hands, because it had to be done in a coordinated and synchronous manner.

4. They have different walks. Brittany often walks on tiptoes.

5. The sisters' parents immediately refused to separate them, because the doctors did not promise a successful result.

6. When they turned 16, they allowed TV people to make the first documentary about them, and then a reality show.

7. Together they can walk, run, swim, drive a car and even ride a bike! They type on a computer. They just learned to cooperate and coordinate their actions. And where to go!

8. To drive a car, each of the twins had to pass on the rights.

9. Abby and Brittany have completely different personalities. They even sew special clothes to emphasize the tastes of each.

10. Abby loves math and Brittany loves literature.

11. In 2012 they graduated from the university.

12. Sisters hope they can find love and have children.

13. The twins say they don't mind being together, but they get very annoyed when they are photographed on the street without permission.

14. At 6 years old, they appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show.

15. Hensel love to play musical instruments, bowling and volleyball.

16. When they go to the theater, they buy two tickets.

17. Since these are two different people, it happens that one is sick and the other is healthy. Brittany has had pneumonia twice already, but Abby has never.

18. They prepare different birthday cakes for them.

19. Sometimes it's hard to coordinate everything. One may want to eat or sleep, while the other does not.

20. Brittany and Abby are teachers primary school with a mathematical twist.

25.12.2006

Since the 10th century, about 200 operations have been carried out to separate conjoined twins. The first successful attempt was made in 1689 by a German doctor - he separated the twins, fused at the waist. Since then, history knows many other amazing cases ...

On September 16, 2005, members of the medical team that separated 13-month-old Siamese twins Leah and Tabea Blok gathered in a packed boardroom in front of a large audience of journalists and photojournalists. They performed a unique operation, but their mood was gloomy ...

A few hours ago, early that morning, one of the girls, Tabea, died after a separation. "I think I'll make the point - we're deeply saddened by the passing of Tabei," said Ben Carson, who led the surgical team.

The separation of Leah and Tabea Block will probably go down in the annals of the Johns Hopkins Medical Center as one of the most amazing surgeries ever performed here. It took almost 30 hours, stretching over three days, 95 top-notch neurosurgeons and other doctors, nurses, and countless technicians to make it happen. More than 150 people came together to make the operation a success.

Head-to-head twins, known scientifically as "craniopagus" (craniopagus), are the rarest case of Siamese twins, and are born about one in 2 million cases.

Today, with the advent of new brain imaging capabilities, plastic surgery and anesthesia - children with such a congenital defect have additional chances for a normal life ...

But these operations are always fraught with tragedy. There is a very high risk for one or both twins to die, or survive with severe brain injuries during surgery. Ben Carson operated on four pairs of these twins. The odds were split exactly 50/50 percent - in two cases both children died, in the other two the children survived, including the Binding twins, who were operated on at the Hopkins Center in 1987.

Nelly and Peter Block, from a small town in northwestern Germany, gave the rights to their story to the German magazine Stern, thanks to which they were able to raise money for the operation. Blocks became popular figures in Germany - fascinated by twins with bright blue eyes and with thin features reminiscent of Dresden dolls, people supported them both morally and financially...

The first time the Hopkins surgical team met with Nellie, Peter and the babies was in early June 2005. Neurosurgeons, anesthesiologists, plastic surgeons, and pediatric and intensive care nurses discussed the risks and benefits of surgery with Blocks. As a result, everyone came to an agreement that the twins should be separated. Otherwise, girls will never be able to assume an upright position, their mobility will be extremely limited, and they will not be able to develop and lead a more or less normal life ...

Extensive scans by radiologist Doris Lin and angiography by Philip Gaillud became the basis on which the surgeons based themselves during the operation. These life-size anatomical models have allowed surgeons to visualize and even "experience" the complex anatomy of twin arteries and veins. The separation of arteries and veins is the main and most difficult part of this operation. The second is to preserve as much mental capacity as possible... "For a long time they won't have any dura mater," explained plastic surgeon Rick Redette.

On June 9, 2005, Redette and plastic surgeon Craig Vandre Kolk made six tiny incisions on the girls' heads, into which they inserted six small tubes through which a special fluid was pumped that expanded the tissues on the head. During three months the twins' heads looked like balloons...

In fact, the operation began on September 11, but was stopped after Tabei had cardiac arrhythmia, convulsions, and the anesthesiologists had to resuscitate her ... After three days of intensive care on September 15, the operation continued ... Everything developed according to an optimistic forecast, until late that night at Tabei again did not develop heart failure. The twins were separated at 0:15. Despite the titanic efforts of doctors, Tabeya died about an hour later ...

Immediately after the operation, the surviving girl was placed in a special chair, which was equipped with two shock absorbers to protect the soft parts of the head. It also supported the girl's head while the neck muscles were not sufficiently developed ...

Then Leia received a specially adapted helmet so that her head would be protected as soon as she could move independently...

Now Leia is already quite strong. She loves it when her father throws her high - then she rejoices and laughs loudly. And she doesn't seem to be afraid...

The missing skull bone in Leia's head is artificially completed, and in a few years the skull will be completely protected.

She will have several more cosmetic surgeries to restore her hair - now Leah's hair on her head is growing in small bushes ...

Her mother, Nelly Block, says: "Before the operation, I carefully looked at my sleeping children. They were two very different, peculiar little personalities ... But they could not show this wonderful individuality if they had not been operated on ... "

When conjoined twins are born sick, doctors and relatives face a difficult ethical problem. Sometimes only one twin has a chance to survive, and for this you need to sacrifice the life of the second twin. Parents may choose to surgically separate twins and save the life of the strongest twin. However, not all conjoined twins have such a tragic fate. For example, sisters Abigail and Brittany Hensel are the only living girl in the world with two heads. This pair of twins, greedy for sensational journalists, even called the "eighth wonder of the world." However, there is something to be surprised...

Consolidated twins, physically remaining one, live quite normal full life. They are dicephalic twins with one torso, two arms, two legs and three lungs. Each has its own heart and stomach, but the blood supply between them is common. The two spinal cords end in one pelvis, and they have all the organs below the waist in common. Such twins are very rare. The archives record only four pairs of surviving dicephalic twins.

Each sister controls the arm and leg on her side, and each feels touched only on her side of the body. But they coordinate their movements so well that they can walk, run, ride a bike and swim. They learned to sing and play the piano, with Abby playing the parts right hand, and her sister is on the left.

The girls live in a small town in the western United States with their mother a nurse, their father a carpenter and younger brother and sister. The family runs a farm with five cows, a horse, three dogs and many cats. People living with them in the same town treat them quite normally, and rudeness from strangers is simply ignored. The sisters explain to the curious that they "do not have two heads", but they are, in fact, two different people. This is emphasized by their clothes, which are bought in a regular store and then altered to make two necklines.

When they need to coordinate their desires and make a decision, they toss a coin, set the order of the desired actions, or ask their parents for advice. Usually they settle differences through compromise, but this is not always possible. Between them there are disputes, and even light brawls. Once, when they were very young, Britty hit Abby on the head with a rock.

It often seems as if they are able to read each other's thoughts (some doctors explain this by the fact that certain parts of their nervous system intersect with each other). When Britty coughs, Abby automatically covers her mouth with her hand. One day they were watching TV and Abby said to Britty, "Are you thinking the same thing as me?" Britty replied, "Yes," and they went to the bedroom to read the same book.

Their parents tell them, "You can do whatever you want." Both want to be doctors when they grow up. Britty says she wants to get married and have children.