Extraordinary Twins

[chrissa1]

Just, Wow!!! What an amazing programme. The skill of the surgeons is remarkable.

[pixie374]

I haven't seen it, as don't have normal TV. But it did look interesting. There are a few on more4 and YouTube. What were their names please?

[Peter Pedant]

callie and carter

[pixie374]

Thanks pp x

[pixie374]

https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/parents-conjoined-twins-heartbreaking-dilemma-24393120
Are they both ok?

[Caran]

I thought the programme was so interesting. But some questions. How on earth could twin boys/men be married and father 21 children between them.

[pixie374]

Caran, imagination will tell you...

[Caran]

I don't understand how some of the parents decided not to separate the twins. I found it very unsettling to see the adult twins still joined. Surely they cannot have a normalish life?

[pixie374]

I was thinking about it myself, when I read the link. I think the problem is, that you know you might lose one or both babies. It's always a huge risk. Often, they are safer together- it's just society finds it hard.
There are a lot of examples, I might need to look up actually... but Abbey and Brittany Henson for one. Would not have survived a separation, but seem perfectly well together. And lots of others separated, where one or both have died.

[pixie374]

https://youtu.be/vx2u5uUu3DE
Two that died as adults from surgery.

[pixie374]

Wrong link!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladan_and_Laleh_Bijani

[pixie374]

https://pmj.bmj.com/content/77/911/593
Parasitic, slightly different.

[andy-hughes]

Caran - // How on earth could twin boys/men be married and father 21 children between them. //

The original 'Siamese Twins' - Chang and Eng Bunker who were joined at the chest by a fibrous link of tissue, married twin sisters and had children.

The lived one week at one's home, and the next at the other's.

The twin who was not at home would remain silent as far as possible, and allow his brother to be with his family.

It sounds weird to us, but you have to think that they have never known anything different so it is 'normal' to them.

[andy-hughes]

Caran - // I found it very unsettling to see the adult twins still joined. Surely they cannot have a normalish life? //

As I said in my previous post, what you have always known from birth is what counts as 'normal' for you - that goes for conjoined twins.

People adapt to their circumstances - it feels strange to us, but obviously not to them.

[pastafreak]

I just watched the first episode. To say it made me emotional is putting it mildly. Extradinary twins...parents...and surgeons.

[naomi24]

I can't watch anything like that. It makes me feel sick. Too upsetting.

[pastafreak]

It certainly wasn't "upsetting"...it was very, very positive and well worth watching.

[pixie374]

I don't find it upsetting either. People are different- it's so interesting. It's amazing and telling, how well people can adapt, and have great lives, without others seeing them as "normal".