Family, gives up everything to separate conjoined twins
When a couple, gave birth to conjoined twins in the dominican republic. They thought their chances of having these girls separated, were slim to none
Still the family quit their jobs and sold their home to come to the united states
Hoping, that they could find a team of medical professionals that could, separate the girls their journey began on the day
Their little girls were born
With only one vowel to differentiate their names bala knee and melanie were born into the world in february 2016
Their parents moreno abel camacho and laurel in saladillo marte were surprised when they saw. Their babies were attached at the lower back
We were scared moreno said her children were born in a hospital in the dominican republic, where there
Wasn't really a, hospital that was experienced dealing with, this after they were born the doctor just kept, saying i'll see what i can
do in
The, days, after the twins were born conjoined at the tailbone they faced an additional challenge the girls, also shared a
Major blood vessel and that's when the family decided to put it in the hands of god according to their mom laura live
Fortunately for the family a friend worked at the maria fareri children's hospital in valhalla, new
York, which is part of the westchester medical center health network, when she heard of the camacho situation
She put them in touch with the hospital
Within six months bala knee and bella knee and their parents were on their way to new
York, where they crashed with their family friend, and flushing the cost of the twin. Surgery
Would be provided through philanthropic and the couple had to raise funds to pay for their visas and the twins medical bills in santo domingo
When we arrived everything, was so cloudy and uncertain said 24-year old lorilynn?
We had no idea what would happen with the babies but right away when we came to the hospital the doctors put us at ease
The family learned that the procedure to separate the twins, would involve about 50 medical professionals
At least they knew their children, would be in good hands with the help of many experienced and remarkable surgeons before the operation
Which began on the morning of january 17th in 2017 the medical team had spent hours preparing and sketching out their approach
They, used a
3d printer to produce a skeletal model based on cat scans and mris which included a triangular
Bone at the spines, base the model helped
Give doctors a better idea of the size
And special relationship of the targeted area but it could not substitute for actual surgery
this of course
would prove to be complicated
But doctors samir pandya a leader of the surgical team told the medical professionals to think of the body as a house
From outside the walls of everything, may look great but take
Down the plaster see the writing and the framework and the pipes and things become more complicated
Dr.. Pandya told those involved that they had to separate all of those pipes and that framework for ballet knee and bella knee the team
Had to separate spinal cord spinal, bone blood vessels gastrointestinal connections and more
When it came time for the surgery orthopedic surgeons plastic surgeons and neurosurgeons each played their parts in the surgery
dr
pandya
Like in the operation to ascend but the eleventh-hour became tough when general surgeons had to work around a critical blood vessel
This, was the most life-threatening portion of the surgery pandya said
If the team cut, the blood, vessel the results could have been catastrophic
But, by a miracle of god and some skilled professionals the 21 hour surgery
Was a success after the operation the baby's required skin grafting and other procedures
Next they would undergo physical therapy and other outpatient services but
For the time being the kamacho family basked in the moment and glared lovingly at their two girls
who, they nicknamed las mariposa des ausa lowness little butterflies in
Front of new cameras with, hospital staff applauding the parents proudly carried, bella knee and balan e1 wearing a light
blue headband with a flower and the other wearing a pink one
Already, the girls seemed to assert themselves when one reached out and grabbed the microphone as a television reporter, was interviewing their parents
At a news, conference physician said the girls were expected to thrive and that they were optimistic that they
Would eventually reach key milestones including sitting up and walking on their
Own we're? Happy that this day has come after a long, journey, said dr.
Michael, gurewitz the children's hospital's physician in chief it was really a herculean effort
Dr. Whitney mcbride one of the lead surgeons said that the twin surgery
Was kind of the superbowl of surgeries the world series you, don't get much bigger than this
He, was just one of the doctors involved in the girl's surgery, and he recalled the actual moment they were separated as
tremendously tremendously
dramatic
Mcbride ended that the operation team took a
Brief break to applaud their accomplishment in the following week
After their separation the sisters proved their, bond, was just as strong when they, were joined they blew. Kisses at
each other when they were reunited after being released, from the pediatric icu
Marino, the girl's father told the medical staff that their efforts have, made our daughters
Your, daughters he said the family has been crying a lot and it's been a beautiful and emotional time
Even when i looked out at the babies and i see the bandages i'm still happy
But this doesn't mean that the road to marino's happiness has been without tribulations
Shortly, after the smaller twin, bella knee was, born she was diagnosed with a congenital heart condition and they feared both girls could
die but now that the surgery is over the family is thinking about their future and their girls living healthy and independent lives i
Want them to go to school for them to play freely even if it's in a. Wheelchair anything but, with their freedom and independence
lorilynn, said
Moreno added we're ready to undertake a fight of this new chapter of our daughter's lives