The fact that identical twins are extremely uncommon and that they do not completely split when their zygote develops into two embryos is becoming widely known. Their amazing situation won’t have any negative effects on the lives of these two conjoined twin baby girls in Philadelphia.
Beautiful baby girls Erin and Abby Delaney were born in the summer of 2016, and because they were joined at the top of their heads, their separation was extremely challenging and complex.
It was clear from looking at these two that keeping them together in this way was not going to be good for their growth and development as well as their mental health as they get older.
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia took on the most difficult operation the hospital has ever performed: separating them from one another!
In order to prevent either girl from bleeding to death or causing more complications, the surgery required a surgical team for each girl and many hours of quick procedures.
The two were successfully separated and are now able to lead separate lives thanks to the surgeons’ amazing skills, love, and care.
According to their mother, Heather Delaney:
“Considering everything they’ve been through, they’re such joyful, content little girls. They have never left the confines of the hospital.
At this point, everything had improved. Five months later, following surgery, the couple was able to grow both mentally and physically and thrive in their own space. Their mother remarked on how well they had been growing.
Mom added:
“People don’t frighten them. They have shown incredible bravery throughout it all.
It was impossible to hold them separately for a lot of the first few months after birth; they were constantly watched for their own safety and couldn’t even learn to roll over, much less sit up!
Erin eventually learned to sit up by herself, and Abby also learned to roll over. The journey to their current location was quite lengthy, but they persevered until they reached their destination without incident.
Despite the fact that they required additional surgeries, these incredible girls are getting a second chance at living an amazing life. They had undergone surgeries in July 2021 to help fix and reshape their skulls.
Abby recovered well, but Erin found it more difficult to fully recover.
Through social media posts, their mother has been keeping their family and friends, as well as those who are curious about the girls’ lives, informed.
The girls’ autism diagnosis in September 2020 dealt the family yet another setback.
I’m afraid for the girls’ future because of the stigma that surrounds people with autism. Being autistic on top of everything else they already have is difficult. When I received that phone call, I started crying a lot. All I want is for the diagnosis to end. I am aware that nothing changes as a result. We still love the girls as much as we did yesterday, if not more, and I know that they are still who they are. However, receiving yet another diagnosis is depressing,” Heather wrote.
According to Heather’s most recent blog post, Erin is “walking upstairs, running around, and getting stronger every day,” and Abby is getting closer to walking every day.
Thanks to their devoted parents’ unwavering love and support, Erin and Abby have been able to achieve their milestones.
They are both doing well in spite of everything that has happened to them.
We are incredibly proud of the girls’ accomplishments, growth, and future plans. We love our girls for who they are, so we have never once wished things were different,” says Heather.
Watch the video below to learn more about the lives of these girls.