Unfortunately, Heather’s pregnancy proved to be a rough ride – one made all the more difficult after it became apparent that her babies’ heads were conjoined.
When they got the news from the doctors, the soon-to-be-parents froze.
“We were stunned,” Heather told People. She continued: “It was awful. But we knew in that moment we would go through the pregnancy no matter what. I just didn’t think it was my place to decide if they lived or died.”
Hey everyone be sure to wish Heather(mom) a happy birthday!!! -Riley(dad)
Posted by Delaney Twins on Wednesday, October 26, 2016
It may come as a surprise, but cases of conjoined twins aren’t nearly so rare as most people think.
When it comes to identical twins, 1 in 200 pregnancies and 1 in 49,000-189,000 births result in conjoined twins. Sure, they sound like big numbers, but given how many babies are born in the world over each day it’s more common than we imagine.
The real rarity when it comes to conjoined babies lies in the mortality rate. Sadly, only 18% of conjoined babies make it safely into the world – the majority of these pregnancies usually end in miscarriage.
But, Heather and her husband remained hopeful. And their faith was rewarded when Abby and Erin were successfully delivered by C-section on July 24th, 2016; they weighed just 2 lbs.
Posted by Delaney Twins on Friday, August 21, 2020
The newborns stayed in the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for the first 485 days of their lives where the life-saving separation operation was carried out. Since the 1950s, almost all conjoined twins have undergone separation – with varying results.
