American Siamese twins. How the Siamese twins Abigail and Brittany Hensel live

06.03.2020

The Hensel sisters are Siamese twins, but despite this their life is not much different from the lives of other people. Their names are Abigail and Brittany. These girls are cheerful, sociable, and they have their own dreams and goals. They, like other children, went to school, studied hard, graduated from university and got a job. But since each sister has her own character, it becomes curious how they get along in one body.

Dicephalus twins

The girls were born on March 7, 1990 in New Germany. They turned out to be fused twin-dicephalus. This is a very rare occurrence when two people use one torso with two legs and two arms. At the same time, the body has its own difficulties, so they have three lungs. Each girl also has her own stomach and heart, which are connected by one blood circulation. In addition, they have three kidneys, two gall bladders, one large intestine and a liver. Two spines end in the common pelvis. All organs, starting from the waist, are one for two, including genital.

The Hensel sisters are a huge rarity, in history there were only four pairs of dicephalic twins who were able to survive. But today these girls are the only surviving. In addition, they lead a normal life.

Anatomical differences

Although the sisters have the same circulatory system, their body temperature is different, and they feel it. Abigail often gets hot, but her sister is often cold at these moments. Twin girls have different height. Abigail has 1 m 57 cm, but her sister is 10 cm lower. This is noticeable in the location of the head and along the length of the leg. To make the body look more harmonious and balanced, Brittany always gets on his toe.

Who is the master in the body?

Abigail and Brittany Hensel are fused twins, so each girl controls only that part of the body that is on her side. For example, Abigail cannot raise a hand that is on the side of Brittany or does not feel pain or touch from her side. Despite this, the girls learned to move harmoniously, so much so that they manage to perform movements, as if it were one person. Thanks to this, the sisters walk well, can run and ride a bicycle. Also, the sisters learned to swim and even drive a car. In school years, such coherence helped them take part in local competitions.

Different people

But the fact that the sisters Abigail and Brittany Hensel are different people proves not only the structure of their body. Each girl may have its own reaction to a particular product. For example, unlike Abigail, Brittany's heart reacts to coffee and her heart rate increases. At the same time, Brit loves milk, but her sister does not. And if they eat soup, Abby sprinkles crackers on only her mate, because the second girl does not like this mix.

But this is not the only difference between the sisters. These are really two different personalities, each has its own character, tastes, preferences and even dreams. The views on clothing and entertainment choices do not match either. But since they have to share one body, they have learned to compromise.

Family of girls

The twins Abigail and Brittany Hensel were born and continue to live in. In their family, mom works as a nurse, and dad is engaged in carpentry. Girls are not the only children. Parents decided to have another daughter and son. Their family is very friendly, they, despite the difficulties, are support to each other. There is always a lot to do at home, because parents own a farm with cows and other animals.

When the girls were still small, doctors insistently recommended an operation and separation of the twins. But this meant that one of the daughters would die. Despite the complexity of the decision, the parents resolutely refused. Mother was not ready to sacrifice one of her beloved girls. Today, Abigail and Brittany are immensely grateful that my mother decided to leave everything as it is. Indeed, after all, the daughters grew up cheerful, companionable and active. Parents and friends call them Abby and Brit.

How was your childhood

Despite their unusual appearance, parents sent the girls to a normal school. Here, the Hensel sisters learned not to respond to ridicule. Although it is worth noting that in the town where they live, they are friendly and completely normal.

But one of the main difficulties was for the sisters to learn to give in to each other. Before this happened, they constantly argued, there were quarrels and even fights, like all brothers and sisters. Once in deep childhood, when they again did not agree, Brittany grabbed a stone and hit her sister in the head. But this was a lesson for both, the girls were very scared and apologized to each other with tears.

Gradually, Abby and Brit learned to peacefully resolve their disagreements. To do this, they can throw a coin or ask parents for advice.

Girls did not want to be different from others, so they also went in for their hobbies. So they learned not only to sing beautifully, but also to play the guitar and piano.

What are the twins arguing about?

It may seem to some that Siamese twins may not share, because they should already learn to feel each other? But Abigail and Brittany Hensel are different people, each of them has their own opinion and it is not easy to make concessions. For example, it is not easy for girls to choose a vacation, because Abby likes to sit at home. But Brit can not sit at home, because she likes dancing, fun companies, parties, or at least she just needs to go to the movies. In this case, the girl tries to defend her preferences to the last. But sometimes it is difficult for her, because her sister is one of those people who do not need to "go into the pocket for a word", she often becomes a winner in disputes.

How to choose clothes

It happens that the Hensel sisters do not agree on what to wear on her body, since Abby loves “cool” and colorful outfits, believes that jewelry should be original, youthful. But Brit, on the contrary, prefers a restrained style in clothes, neutral shades, and from jewelry - something calm and refined, such as pearls. To purchase a new thing, they have to negotiate.

Sisters go to ordinary shops in search of things. If they both like a T-shirt or sweater, they buy it and change the house a bit. If it is a dress or blouse, they make a second neck. And so the Hensel sisters try to ensure that there are no zippers and buttons on the clothes.

How girls live in one body

The Hensel sisters (the photo is on this page) try to lead an ordinary life. They have many friends with whom they spend time. Since it is difficult to sit all their lives in a small city, they travel to other places. In the new environment, they are helped by friends who try to monitor the reaction of people. The difficulty is that they often want to photograph the twins or just touch them. But this attitude is unpleasant for girls, friends try to close them from the lens.

Girls like attention, but if it's out of decency. For example, if a person wants to take a picture, he just needs to come over to say hello and get to know a little. In this case, Brit and Abby will gladly smile at the camera.

But if this does not happen, and people brazenly photograph them as a “curiosity,” the sisters begin to get nervous and worried. They have to go to another place. Despite such a reaction of people, after a change of scenery, the girls are not upset, but continue to have fun, as if nothing had happened. It is worth noting that Abby's character is a little hotter and more aggressive, and Brit is softer and more artistic.

Car driving

It seems surprising to many that the sisters Abigail and Brittany Hensel, twins who have grown together, can drive a car. This skill is possessed by both girls. Each of them passed an exam in driving theory, but they went through practice together. Sitting in the driver's seat, both sisters carry out their actions, which they agreed in advance. For example, one presses gas, the other should put pressure on the brake. The sisters have two driver's licenses, each with its own, as well as passports. When they are stopped at the post, the girls ask whose documents to present.

In addition to travel by car, Abby and Brit fly on an airplane. But here they often have difficulties, because they are required to show two tickets, because the passenger list contains two names. But the girls are in no hurry to pay, because they need only one place.

Study and work

At the end of school, the girls had one more difficulty. Brittany loved literature, while her sister understood mathematics well. They needed to go to university, but so that the interests of the twins were taken into account. As a result, the girls agreed that they want to be teachers in elementary grades. So every sister will be able to teach the subject that she likes.

After graduation, Brit and Abby got into the school as teachers, but they are paid one salary, as if two people share the same rate. But the girls do not agree, because they have two diplomas. In addition, while one is conducting a lesson, the other can check notebooks from her classes.

Students like to attend classes with the Hensel sisters. Children learn from them not to give up and have a positive outlook on life.

Hensel sisters: personal life and dreams

Abby and Brit are sociable and love to communicate, but always avoid the topic of personal life. But the fact is that girls and their mother dream of marriage. Once in one newspaper, a sensation was published that Brittany was already engaged, but the sisters said it was a “cruel joke”.

Today, girls have gained widespread popularity, as they are written about in newspapers, invited to TV shows, and even a series with their participation was shot. They are happy, famous and successful people who may soon be lucky and their sisters will be able to meet a loved one and even become mothers.

In New Germany, Minnesota, Abigail and Brittany Hensel live. They are Siamese twins with a unique body structure. For two, the girls have two spines, two hearts (the circulatory system is common), two stomachs, three kidneys, three lungs and common genitals.

This is only the fourth case recorded in scientific archives when twins with such anatomy survived. At the same time, each sister feels touch only on her half of the body and can control only one arm and one leg. Incredibly, they manage to lead a completely normal lifestyle.

For 27 years, Abby and Brittany have learned to coordinate movements so well that they do not have to deny themselves anything. Without apparent difficulty, they ride a bicycle, swim, play volleyball and the piano, dividing the composition into parts for the left hand and right. Moreover, the Americans even lost their rights and are now quietly driving around in their own car.

On top of that, the girls also have different heights. Abby has 157 centimeters, and her sister is ten centimeters lower. The length of their legs is also different, and Brittany has to wear shoes with higher heels or walk on tiptoes so as not to limp.

In general, there is a lot of surprising in them. “I can have a completely different temperature,” says Abby. “Often we feel that when we touch our palms of different temperatures.” Hobbies, characters and taste preferences also vary. For example, Brittany loves milk, and her sister hates it. When they eat soup, Brittany does not allow her sister to sprinkle half her crackers.

People often think that girls can read each other's thoughts. For them to finish the sentence begun by the sister is a common thing. In one of the interviews, they recalled the case when one of them asked: “Do you think about the same thing as I do?” It turned out that it was so, after which the girls turned off the TV and went to read a book. Doctors explain this by the fact that certain parts of their nervous system intersect.

When sisters disagree about what to do, they drop a coin, ask their parents for advice, or set the order in which to perform the desired actions. But now they are relatively easy to find a compromise, and in childhood, it happened, Abby and Brittany even fought.

The girls graduated from the university with two degrees. Now they are teaching math in high school. But they get one salary. They have everything in common, even life.

Abigail and Brittany Hensel were born 28 years ago. They have different characters, interests, style. The only thing that unites them is one body. In 1998, after publishing an article in Life magazine, the whole world learned about Siamese twins. How their life happened after almost 20 years is further in the review.

The body structure of the girls is unique, all vital organs are paired. True, each of them is responsible for its side of the body. Abby controls the left arm and leg, and Brittany controls the right. In childhood, the most difficult thing for them was to coordinate their movements. But judging by how confidently they move along the street, it becomes clear that they succeeded. Also, girls no longer notice their difference in height. Abby is 10 cm taller than her sister. For balance, Brittany always walks on tiptoe.

Moreover, the Hensel sisters play volleyball and the piano very well, with Abby playing the parts of the right hand and Brittany playing the left. Girls achieved such a harmony in controlling their bodies that they even got a driver’s license.

Despite the fact that the Siamese twins can end the same sentence in chorus, they are very different in character. Today, Abby and Brittany have already learned to agree on exactly where to go for a walk or what to wear, and even as a child there were brawls between the sisters: one could hit the other in the head in the heat of argument.

Girls have two diplomas of education. Each of them has its own specialty, because Abby has a mathematical mindset, and Britney has a humanitarian one. Now the sisters are working as teachers in elementary school. True, the girls lament that they receive one salary, because in fact they do one job for two.

Girls believe that they are lucky with friends who accept them as they really are. It is more difficult not to react to the reaction of passers-by who do not hold back and point fingers at girls or take pictures on phones. You also have to endure the increased attention of journalists to their person.

Today, society is learning to tolerate people with disabilities. And at the beginning of the twentieth century, Siamese twins were exposed to the amusement of the public. This is exactly what they did with

Abigail and Brittany Hensel are fused twin sisters living in Minnesota, USA. By the age of 23, they had proved to themselves and to the whole world that being in one body and controlling only “their” half, they can lead an absolutely normal, active life. Abby and Brittany graduated from the university, traveled extensively around the world, drove a car, got a job - in a word, they seemed to have nothing to complain about.

Anatomy and physiology

Abigail and Brittany are dicephalic dibrachius parapagi, in other words, they are fused twins, who have two bodies, one head, two arms, two arms and two legs.

Despite the fact that the girls have two hearts, separate lungs, two stomachs, one liver, one reproductive system and each of the twins is responsible for only one side of the body, they subconsciously (from childhood) perfectly learned to coordinate the movements of the common body. This proves the video in which the girls drive a car.

Kari's twin girlfriend admires the twins' harmonious work: “These are two different people who have the amazing ability to work together harmoniously, making basic movements together. For example, I never think about performing these movements, and every day I take them for granted. ”

Girls have different heights: Abby (1m 57cm) 10 cm taller than her sister (1m 47cm). Since their legs are also different in length, Brittany has to stand on her toes to maintain balance.

Their body reacts differently to coffee. Brittany's heart begins to beat more often after two cups of coffee, Abby's heart does not respond to caffeine. They have different body temperatures. And each of the girls feels a touch only to her half.

“I can have a completely different temperature,” says Abby, “very often we feel that when we touch our palms of different temperatures, I get very hot very quickly."

The twins know each other so well that very often they say the same thing or end sentences for each other. Doctors explain this by the fact that in some places their nervous system intersects.

However, between them there are a number of significant differences. For example, Brittany is afraid of heights, and Abby is not afraid. Abby is interested in mathematics and science, Brittany prefers art.

Facts about fused twins:

fused twins develop from one fertilized egg, so they are always the same sex and look very similar;

fused twins - a very rare occurrence - 1 case per 200,000 births;

40-60% of fused twins are born dead. Twin women survive more often than men;

it is not known why the embryo did not complete the process of separation into two identical twins;

despite advances in medicine, surgical separation of such twins is a very rare occurrence.

Socialization

Like many 23-year-olds, Abby and Brittany love spending time with friends. They play volleyball, go camping and partying. There is nothing that they could deny themselves. They have their own page on social networks.

Abigail and Brittany Hensel recently took part in the reality show "Abby and Brittany", which aired on TLC on August 28, 2013. A television show has been following Abby and Brittany's life since graduation and focuses on the process of finding a job and traveling girls across Europe. A trip overseas was organized for girls as a gift for graduation.

“Everywhere they go, everyone stares at them,” twins' friends say. In an interview with People magazine, Abby Hensel explains that they have long been accustomed to increased attention from others. “We just ignore this fact,” Abby notes.

Education and career

Being graduates of Bethel University, Abby and Brittany are trying to find a job as a primary school teacher in mathematics.

And although they have two licenses that give them the right to carry out teaching activities, the financial issue is considered somewhat differently. “It’s clear that we will receive one salary because we will do the work of one person,” says Abby.

“As we gain experience, we will probably return to this issue, since we have two diplomas, and we offer two different approaches to learning - one can explain new material while the other can keep order and answer questions, - says Brittany, “so in this sense we are doing work for two.”

Shopping

“We definitely have different clothing preferences,” says Abby. “Brittany prefers a neutral or even austere style, while I prefer something more fun, vibrant and colorful.”

The debate about what clothes to wear always wins Abby. Brittany, however, is sure that, despite the colorful outfits, her sister is very similar to a homebody, while she prefers to spend more time outside the house.

The difficulties of "living together"

Despite the fact that girls live a normal family and social life, study and work like any other young people, there are a number of issues that they prefer not to discuss. Such questions include the question of their personal lives. Abby and Brittany refute rumors that Brittany was engaged, calling these rumors "ridiculous joke." Brittany once said in a television interview that she and Abby want to become mothers, but "have not yet figured out how to do this."

Traveling to another country is also not an easy test for them. They have two passports, but one plane ticket, because they occupy one place.

They also always need to be careful in public - very often they become heroes of unwanted photos. A close friend of the twins, Erin Junkans, emphasizes that girls are always on the alert, because they are never exactly sure how others will react to their appearance and what they can say or do. “I must always be sure that they are safe. “I always watch how girls react to the crowd,” says Junkans. “In a number of cases, when attention to them exceeds the permissible limit, we are forced to leave this place, and they amaze me with their ability to simply throw it off and continue to do what we came to this or that place.”

Was the operation possible?

Any operation to separate the fused twins is a very complex and often dangerous medical manipulation. In the case of Abigail and Brittany Hensel, this was a risk that the girls' parents were not ready to take because of fears that the twins would not survive or that the quality of their life after surgery would be significantly different from the quality of life that they have today.

Challenge to fate

Today, Abigail and Brittany Hensel challenge fate. They became the 12th pair of fused twins who reached adulthood. Mom Patty Hansel says that her hopes for the future of her daughters are no different from the hopes for the future of other children: “We decided to take part in a reality show because it is fun. In addition, we have nothing to hide - you can see who we are and how we live - just like other people. Like any mother, I want my children to be successful, happy and healthy people. They are happy and successful, and that is exactly what I want. "

Abby says: “It's very funny to watch people say:“ Wow, they are able to do what we do, they have friends, and they are always busy with something. What we do is normal, and our life is no different from the lives of other people. "

Today, Abby and Brittany begin adulthood. They want to enjoy every day and are not going to make far-reaching plans for 10 years in advance.

Working as teachers in elementary school, they not only became an example for their students in the academic plan, but also a life example - a living example of overcoming difficulties and finding the opportunity to live a full life in one body.

“I don’t think there is anything that they can’t try to do if they really want to,” says Paul Goode, principal of the school where Abby and Brittany work. “And the most important thing is that they can teach a lesson in survival to children, especially those children who are currently on the verge of difficulties and worries - only a living example can teach the real struggle for a decent life.”

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