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| ==Common organs== | ==Common organs== | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| Most of Abigail and Brittany's shared organs lie below the waist line. | Most of Abigail and Brittany's shared organs lie below the waist line. | ||
| * 2 heads | * 2 heads | ||
Revision as of 00:15, 31 January 2007
| Abby and Brittany Hensel | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Babysitting, nanny, high school students |
| Parent(s) | Patty and Mike Hensel |
Abigail "Abby" Loraine Hensel and Brittany Lee Hensel (born 7 March 1990, Carver County, Minnesota, United States), are dicephalic conjoined twins. Brittany is the left twin, and Abigail is the right twin. They have two spines which join at the pelvis. They have two stomachs, three lungs, and two arms. (A third, underdeveloped and useless arm between their heads was amputated in infancy.)
Biography
Abigail and Brittany Hensel's parents are Patty (a registered nurse) and Mike Hensel (a carpenter and landscaper). The twins have a younger brother named Dakota ("Koty") and a younger sister named Morgan. They attend Lutheran High School and plan to graduate in 2008.
When the twins were born, their parents chose not to have them separated. As they share many bodily functions, the operation would have been risky and left them in wheelchairs. They do not regret their decision; the twins have themselves stated that they don't wish to be separated. At age 12, they underwent surgery at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare to correct scoliosis and to expand their chest cavity to prevent future difficulties with breathing.
Each of the twins manages one side of their conjoined body, controlling her own arm and leg, and receives no sensation from the other side. Yet, by coordinating their efforts, they are able to walk and run normally. They enjoy hobbies and sports including volleyball, basketball, kickball, swimming, cycling, and singing. They also play the piano and are avid computer users. Like many teenagers of their generation, they enjoy softball, digital photography, internet, social networking, and talking on the telephone. In school, both twins love to talk, though Abby is more extroverted while Brittany is introverted.
Despite sharing a body, the twins have different tastes in food and clothes. Some of their clothes are altered so that they have two separate necklines in order to emphasize their individuality. According to the TLC documentary in 2006, they negotiate what they will wear each day. They will usually have separate meals, but sometimes will share a single meal for convenience sake (e.g. each takes a bite of a hamburger).
In April 1996 and September 1998, as six- and eight-year-olds, they appeared in Joined for Life, a documentary produced by Advanced Medical, distributed on the Discovery Health Channel. They also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on April 8 and April 29 1996. In September 1998, Life magazine featured the twins in the feature The Hensels' Summer. In 2003, an updated story of them at age 11 (filmed in 2001) was published in Time and again in Life.
They appeared in a follow-up documentary on The Learning Channel on December 17 2006 filmed around the time of their 16th birthday, in which they discuss dealing with puberty and getting their driver's licenses.
The successfully passed their driver license exam, both the written and driving tests. They had to take the tests twice, once for each twin. Both control the steering wheel, while Abby controls the pedals and shifter, and Brittany controls the turn signal.
Common organs
Most of Abigail and Brittany's shared organs lie below the waist line.
- 2 heads
- 2 arms -- originally 3, but the short malformed central arm was removed
- 2 spinal cords and backbones which merge at the pelvis -- surgery corrected scoliosis
- 3½ lungs -- surgery expanded their chest cavity
- 2 breasts
- 2 hearts in a shared circulatory system -- medicine taken by either affects both
- 1 liver
- 2 stomachs
- 3 kidneys
- 2 gallbladders
- 1 bladder
- 1 ribcage
- 1 large intestine
- 1 female reproductive system
Filmography
 | This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. |
The following is a list of documentaries and other television appearances.
| Date | Title | Distributor | Producer | Other Airings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 8, 1996 | The Oprah Winfrey Show | King World Productions | Harpo Productions | April 29, 1996 |
| March 27 2003 | Joined for Life | Discovery Channel | Advance Medical Productions, American Broadcasting Company | |
| December 17 2006 | Joined for Life: Abby and Brittany Turn 16 | The Learning Channel | January 17 2007 |
References
- Katie and Eilish: Siamese Twins, Part 2: "Life Without Katie". Discovery Health Channel. (January 1 2002)
- Chang, Maria L. "Joined for life - co-joined six-year-old Hensel twins share many body parts". Science World. (October 4 1996)
- Joined for Life. Adler Media. (2002)
External links
- Abby Hensel at IMDb
- Brittany Hensel at IMDb
- Video showing the twins' life
- Sites in German language with photos
- Shared Lives
- The Most Intimate Bond from Time magazine, 25 March 1996.
- Hensel documentary videos for sale