The new life of the Hansel Siamese twins, between shared work and the “disappearance” of social networks

It’s recess at a small-town Minnesota school. Abby Y Brittany Hensel They play with some pieces of plasticine. They are 6 years old. A young teacher is five plus five. Sisters use to join the fingers of both hands. First Abby turns it into a five and Brittany turns it into a ten. They respond in chorus and crash into their complicit arms. Women in the world have a unique intimacy. They are Siamese twins joined at the chest and share their bodies. Abby controls the members on the right and Brittany controls the members on the left. Although they have separate heads and necks and separate hearts, stomachs and spines, they share blood and all other organs from the pelvis.

Since her birth on March 7, 1990, Siamese Abby and Brittany were harassed by the American media. In April 1996, dicephalic paraphagous twins first appeared on the popular Oprah Winfrey show. That same year, as girls, in September 1998, The Girls Wear Two magazine cover Life.

Siamese twins are extremely rare, believed to occur in one in 200,000 births. 40-60% of them are stillborn. With less than 12 adult conjoined twins in the world, Abby and Brittany Hensel are defying the odds to survive. A few times the sisters’ mother spoke, Grandma Hensel, “He wants them to be successful, happy and healthy.”

Once they were sure the twins were healthy, the family was able to resume a regular routine of bathing, feeding and rocking the babies, “and we knew everything was going to be okay,” Patti says. Apart from a four-month operation to remove a dangerous third arm between their heads, the girls did not need surgery.

Not only that, but teenagers Abby and Brittany They got their own reality show on the TLC cable channel. The Siamese twins’ show ran for one season and chronicled their time before, during and after college graduation in 2012.

Seen as a phenomenon by American society, the sisters were at first dazzled by the media spotlight that constantly sought to tell their story. Later, with time, women wanted to lead a normal life, Away from the cameras.

Abby and Brittany Hensel’s story

Unlike other conjoined twins who can be separated by surgery, Abby and Brittany’s parents decided against surgery after learning of it. It was doubtful whether the two women would survive the procedure. This decision marked the lives of the sisters forever, and once they learned the story, they never gave up on living together forever.

Abby Y Brittany They share many vital organs, including an enlarged liver, bladder, diaphragm, reproductive and digestive systems, and intestines. Each pair controls one arm and one leg. For this reason, from an early age they had to learn to live together, avoid problems, and coordinate movements to function in everyday life. For example, in the reality show they starred in, they were able to drive a car. “Abby controlled the pedals and the shifter. I take care of the lights. But she likes to drive faster than me,” Brittany joked in an interview Daily Mail.

As easy as it sounds, even simple things like standing up, talking without stepping on each other, and putting on your pants required exercise.

The sisters learned to walk at 15 months. Nancy Oltroge, the caregiver who oversaw the process, recalled in an interview with the New York Times: “No one taught the girls which leg to move first. They know how to do it. We had to make sure to keep track of them as their tops were a bit heavy and falling off.

The girls grew up in the American Midwest, in the state of Minnesota He graduated from Meyer Lutheran High School in 2008. The twins later attended Bethel University in Orton Hills, Minnesota They specialize in education.

“Everybody is doing their job. When they take a test, they could very easily cheat, but they don’t. Sometimes Abby makes mistakes and Pretty doesn’t. It’s amazing”, told one of his editors in a 1996 report in the Spanish newspaper El País.

In 2012, Abby and Brittany graduated University and officially entered the next stage of life: adulthood.

Sisters learn to live together

Siamese twins know each other so well that they often say the same things or finish each other’s ideas. With two lungs, two hearts, two stomachs, a liver, a long intestine, and a reproductive system, they learned from an early age to coordinate their bodies. Abby controls the right arm and Brittany controls the left arm.

There is a height difference Abby is 1.57 meters taller than Brittany (1.47 meters). Because her two feet are at different heights, Brittany has to stand on her toes to maintain her balance.

But, like any sister relationship, there are differences of opinion that they must learn to channel. “We definitely have different styles,” Abby explained during the reality show they starred in. Brittany has a very neutral taste, while I like something really fun, bright and colorful.

Abby is seen as the “outgoing” sister It is also about deciding what clothes they will wear. Instead, Brittany says her sister is also very “homey.”

There are other differences. Brittany is afraid of heights, while her sister is not. Abby is interested in math and science and Brittany likes the arts. They also have a different reaction to coffee. After a few cups, Brittany’s heart rate increases, but Abby is unaffected.

The couples did not meet. One of the reasons they stay away from the media is their obsession with speculation about their personal lives, something they want to keep private. What’s more, when they were in college, they had to deny a rumor about Brittany’s engagement, which they described as a “dumb joke.”

What happens if they get sick? Brittany has frequent colds and allergies. Also, at a young age he suffered from pneumonia. None of this affected her sister Abhi. He never had respiratory problems. During the reality show, Abby admits that when her sister is sick, she gets bored because she has to stay in bed all day even though she doesn’t feel any symptoms in her body.

Siamese harassment

Erin Junkens is a friend of the sisters and gave her testimony for the BBC special. He said he always has to be cautious because you never know how people are going to react or what they are going to say. “I cross in front of them so they don’t take photos said the young woman. I’ve always been aware of what’s going on and how women react.”

“some times, When they are too much, we stay away from that area for a whileBut I’m amazed that they’re coming back, focusing on what we’re looking at,” Junkens’ account to the BBC continues.

Where are conjoined twins Abby and Brittany Hensel today?

After much deliberation, Abby and Brittany decided to attend Bethel University in their home state of Minnesota. After four years of hard work, the twins graduated in 2012 with two bachelor’s degrees. Bachelor of Arts. Their titles opened up various possibilities, but they had to decide on only one career.

After her college graduation and the end of her TLC series, Abby and Brittany stepped out of the public eye. Also, they haven’t shared any photos on their joint Instagram account for about seven years. The last picture shows the sisters enjoying Miami Beach with a friend.

“They got tired of cameras following them to the bathroom”admitted one of her close friends. What is known is that Abby and Brittany live in their native Minnesota Elementary school teachers in New Brighton. The twins teach fourth and fifth grades with math majors Their students love them.

Although Abby and Brittany have separate degrees and two teaching licenses, they still share a salary. They already knew what the rules were before starting work. “We understand that we’re going to get paid because we’re doing somebody’s job,” Abi admits as she reads. However, as we gain more experience, we want to negotiate a bit considering that we have two topics and can bring two different perspectives or teach in two different ways.

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