Years after these Siamese twins were born, they shared shocking news

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Siamese twins

Wow! Who would’ve thought?

Siamese twins Abby and Brittany Hensel became worldwide news after being born in 1990. It’s not often you hear about healthy Siamese twins being born. But 22 years later, the twins make an announcement that shocks the world.

Check out below to see what the twins are doing.

Back in the limelight

After their birth, the Siamese twins constantly surprised everyone. Because the two are stuck together, they did everything in their own unique way. From daily tasks to other successes. Over two decades after their birth, this shocking news put them back in the spotlight.

Rare way

Abby and Brittany Hensel were born on March 7th, 1990 in Carver County, Minnesota. When the sisters were born, the doctors discovered that they were attached in an unbelievably rare way. They’re known as dicephalic paragabus twins which means they share one body.

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Small chance of survival

The Hensel twins had an extremely low chance of surviving. Siamese twins are of course very rare; about 1 in 189,000 babies is a Siamese twin. And only 11% percent of this already small population is born dicephalic paragabus. The chance of Abby and Brittany being born was extremely small.

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Anatomy

One thing that still baffles doctors is the anatomy of the twins. Their upper bodies are their own, meaning two stomachs, two hearts, and four longs. But they share one lower body, and only have one reproductive system, one large intestine and a shared liver.

Other issues

Because of their unique anatomic make-up, the twins end up in a weird situation when they get sick. Abby can only experience uncomfortableness on the left side of her body. And Brittany gets unbelievable pains on her right side. If one of the sisters has stomach pains, the other sister has the same symptoms.

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Incredible!

The two girls also have two different body temperatures. In their TLC reality show, Abby & Brittany, Brittany describes the split between their bodies as an imaginary red line through the middle. Brittany often feels warm and sweaty. But Abby doesn’t have a problem with it and in general feels totally fine.

Working as a team

The twins are capable of moving all body parts. This means that each one controls one arm and one leg. The twins therefore had to work together even as babies to be able to crawl and get walking. The older they got, they learned to swim, run, brush their hair and even driving side by side.

Driver’s license

The way they drive was shown on their reality show. Brittany explained that they both had to pass a driving test. “We have two driver’s licenses and when we got them, we both had to take the test – and we both passed,” she said.

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Working well together

Each sister therefore controls their own half of their shared body. This means they have to work well together to be able to drive. Brittany added: “When we drive, Abby takes control of the gas and brakes. We both steer and I take control.” The sisters are confident driving because they find themselves to be good chauffeurs.

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Not the same outfit

It’s still two sisters, with their own taste. So they know how to come to a compromise. In 2013, the twins told BBC that the two don’t always want to wear the same outfit. Abby: “We definitely have different styles. Brittany prefers neutral colors, pearls and that kind of stuff.”

 

More colorful

Abby on the other hand has a flashier style. “I prefer wearing colorful clothes,” Abby adds. It’s not just clothes that set their taste apart. It’s also known that Abby is the more outspoken sister.

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More of a home dweller

In addition, Abby’s confidence often helps her when choosing an outfit. The twins were therefore rarely seen in neutral colors. And yet Brittany claims to be the person who likes to be out and about and explore the world. Her sister, on the other hand, is more of a homebody.

Differences

Besides their taste in clothing and what they like to do in their free time, the twins also have other differences. For example, Brittany is afraid of heights and Abby is not. And while Brittany likes art, Abby is more interested in science.

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Out of the spotlight

Both sisters have successfully built normal lives and they speak openly about it. But there are some things they’d rather keep out of the public eye. For example, relationships. This is why they’ve chosen to keep this part of their lives private.

Tour

Abby and Brittany have no problem talking about their friendships and unbelievable experiences they’ve had together. The two have traveled the world, even with the unwanted attention they receive in other countries. And while they each have their own passport, they share one seat on the airplane.

Weakness

The biggest problem the Siamese twins face is when they land somewhere. They call this their biggest weakness. Abby and Brittany know by now how people react to them. But it never makes them feel good when random people take pictures of them. Thankfully the people they travel with and good friends always watch out for the twins.

Good friend

A good friend of Abby and Brittany, Erin Junkans, told BBC about their friendship and how she protects them while on vacation. “I always want to be sure that they’re safe. I make sure people don’t take pictures and always watch out for how the twins react to how busy a place is,” Erin tells. But the twins can usually get on pretty well with the business.

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Without fear

Erin follows with: “If they ever get overwhelmed we just have to go somewhere else.” But she’s always surprised by their ability to get through those situations and how easily they brush it off. “They don’t let fear control their lives, and this helps fulfill the dream that their mother Patty has always had for them,” Erin says.

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Mother Patty

Their mom Patty was also interviewed by BBC. She told them honestly that she, like every other mother, just wants her kids to be happy and healthy. And she hopes they’ll be successful in whatever they choose to do. That’s why she’s curious to know what the twins plan on doing. Her, and the rest of the world too. Because many people have shown interest in the Siamese twin’s story.

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