>>> ALL YOU MOMS OUT THERE KNOW
YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY IS
NERVE-RACKING AND THOSE
ULTRASOUNDS CAN HAVE YOU ON PINS
AND NEEDLES.
SO IT WAS FOR JAMES AND EMILY
STARK WHO FOUND OUT THEY WERE
PREGNANT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
THE NEWS THAT CAME AFTER THAT
WOULD LEAD TO A MEDICAL MIRACLE.
WATCH.
>> WHEN EMILY AND JAMES STARK
GOT PREGNANT FOR THE FIRST TIME,
EMILY HAD A FUNNY GUT FEELING.
>> WE WERE SUPER EXCITED.
I ALWAYS KNEW IN MY HEART WE
WOULD HAVE TWINS.
IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE GUT
THINGS.
>> OKAY.
FINE, WHATEVER.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS OF THAT.
>> EMILY WAS RIGHT.
WHAT THEIR DOCTOR TOLD THEM AT
THEIR NEXT ULTRASOUND
APPOINTMENT WOULD CHANGE THEIR
LIVES FOREVER.
>> HE LOOKED AT US, AND HE SAID
THEY ARE JOINED SOMEWHERE IN THE
LOWER REGION.
I REMEMBER LOOKING AT THE
CEILING AND I TUNED OUT AND
JAMES KIND OF TOOK OVER FROM
THERE.
>> OBVIOUSLY WE KNEW WHAT
CONJOINED TWINS WERE.
YOU SEE STORIES AND READ ABOUT
THEM.
HE BROUGHT OUT THIS 1,000 PAGE
MEDICAL BOOK AND FLIPPED THROUGH
IT AND THERE'S LITERALLY TWO
PARAGRAPHS ON CONJOINED TWINS.
>> CONJOINED TWINS ARE RARE, ONE
IN 60,000 BIRTHS.
IT'S ESTIMATED 40 TO 60% OF
THOSE BIRTHS ARE DELIVERED
STILLBORN WITH 35% SURVIVING
ONLY ONE DAY.
>> I THINK IT WAS ALWAYS THEY
WILL SURVIVE.
I DON'T THINK THERE WAS EVER A
QUESTION.
>> ON MARCH 9th, 2001, LEXI AND
SIDNEY STARK WERE BORN.
DESPITE THE EXPECTED
COMPLICATIONS, THEY WERE HEALTHY
BABY GIRLS.
>> THE GIRLS WERE SQUIRMING AND
JAMES WENT OVER TO LEXI AND
SAID, LEXI, ARE YOU HAVING A
NIGHTMARE, A NIGHTMARE YOUR
SISTER IS STUCK TO YOUR BUTT.
ALL THE NURSES GIGGLED.
THEY WERE LIKE, OKAY, THIS
FAMILY WILL BE FINE.
>> SEVEN MONTHS LATER THE GIRLS
WENT IN FOR SEPARATION SURGERY.
>> I CARRIED THEM DOWN TO THE
OPERATING ROOM AND LAID THEM
DOWN AND WE SAID GOOD-BYE.
I THINK THAT'S THE MOMENT YOU
KNEW WE COULD BE SAYING GOOD-BYE
FOREVER OR WE COULD BE GETTING
JUST ONE BABY BACK.
>> THEN CAME THE LONG WAIT.
BUT THE HOSPITAL STAFF
CONTINUALLY LIFTED THEIR
SPIRITS.
>> EVERY SINGLE HOUR THIS NURSE
CAME IN AND SHE GAVE US BETTER
AND BETTER AND BETTER NEWS.
>> SAME NURSE ALL DAY.
MY GUESS IS SHE WASN'T GOING
ANYWHERE NO MATTER HOW LONG IT
TOOK.
>> FINALLY CAME THE WORDS THEY
WERE WAITING FOR ALL DAY.
>> SHE CAME UP, AND SHE SAID, WE
HAVE TWO BABIES.
>> AND THE ROOM JUST STARTED
STREAMING.
>> IT EXPLODED.
>> YOU COULD HEAR THAT, WOO-HOO,
TWO BABIES.
>> THE STARK TWINS NO LONGER
SHARED BODY PARTS BUT THEY WOULD
FOREVER HAVE AN UNBREAKABLE
BOND.
>> WOW.
PLEASE WELCOME EMILY STARK AND
JAMES STARK.
INCREDIBLE.
IS IT EMOTIONAL TO SEE THAT?
>> YEAH, IT DOESN'T GO AWAY, YOU
KNOW.
WE GOT THE FAIRY TALE.
THAT'S THE PIECE YOU KNOW.
WE KNOW THE ENDING SO FAR.
>> RIGHT.
>> IN THE BEGINNING IS IT TRUE
YOU CHOSE NOT TO TELL YOUR
FRIENDS.
YOU WERE AT THE BABY SHOWER.
THEY KNEW TWINS BUT THEY DIDN'T
KNOW CONJOINED TWINS.
>> YES.
IT WAS SO HARD TO VERBALLY SAY
IT.
IT TOOK A LITTLE BIT.
I'M A PROCESS THINKER.
IF YOU'RE A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE,
YOU KNOW I'M A PROCESS THINKER.
IT TOOK TIME TO SETTLE IN THE
FACT WE WERE HAVING CONJOINED
TWINS.
>> WHERE WERE THEY CONJOINED AND
HOW COMPLEX DID THE DOCTORS SAY
IT WOULD BE TO SEPARATE THEM?
>> THEY KNEW THEY COULD DO IT,
THE DOCTOR KNEW.
THEY WERE THINKING PARALYSIS WAS
A REAL OPTION.
THEY NEVER GAVE NUMBERS BUT
WORST CASE PARALYSIS, COLOSTOMY
COLOSTOMIES FOR THE REST OF
THEIR LIVES.
>> THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE SURGERY
FOR SEVEN MONTHS, CAN WE TALK
ABOUT FIRST SIX, SEVEN MONTHS.
WHAT DID THE CLOTHES LOOK LIKE?
HOW DID YOU HANDLE THAT?
>> LUCKY FOR US THEY STAYED IN
NICU FOR 17 DAYS.
THE NURSES PUT THEM ON A FEEDING
SCHEDULE.
THEY CAME HOME ON FEEDING
SCHEDULE EVERY FOUR HOURS.
WHAT THEY DID WAS A ONESIE.
PUT THEM OVER THEIR HEAD AND
SNAP, TWO LEGS OUT OF EACH HOLE.
>> FOUR-LEGGED ONESIE, ONCE YOU
SEWED IT TOGETHER.
I WAS ADAMANT SHE BE IN PANTS.
IT TOOK TOO LONG TO GET IN THOSE
ITEMS SO WE WENT WITH A ONESIE
EVERY DAY.
>> I KNOW YOU COULDN'T
BREASTFEED.
>> WE TRIED.
>> ONE WOULD HAVE BEEN --
>> WE TRIED.
>> SO MANY CHALLENGES.
>> WE DID THE PUMP AND FED THEM
THAT WAY.
WHAT WE REALIZED IF YOU PUT A
PILLOW ON YOUR LAP AND PUT THE
GIRLS ON IT, YOU COULD SEE THEM
AND FEED BOTH OF THEM AT ONCE.
THE COOL PART IS, ONE GOT A
BATH, THE OTHER GOT A BATH.
ONE GOT FED, WHY NOT FEED HER.
IT BECAME DOUBLE-WIDE SINGLETON,
WE FEEL LIKE GOD GAVE US TWINS.
>> YOU REFER TO THE SEPARATION
OPERATION AS WHAT?
CAN YOU TELL US WHAT YOU CALL
IT.
>> MY BEST FRIEND CALLED IT
SISTERECTOMY.
>> SISTERECTOMY.
NOW WE CAN LAUGH ABOUT IT
BECAUSE THEY ARE WELL BUT THAT
MUST HAVE BEEN THE HARDEST DAY
WAITING AND WAITING AND WAITING.
>> I THINK IT WAS HARDER THE TWO
WEEKS PRIOR TO THAT.
WE HAD DONE ALL THE PREP
SURGERIES.
WE HAD DONE SO MANY THINGS TO
GET TO THIS DAY.
ABOUT TWO WEEKS PRIOR I LOOKED
AT JAMES AND SAID, ARE WE
PLAYING GOD?
ARE WE MESSING WITH PERFECTION?
WE COULD KEEP THEM TOGETHER AND
KEEP THEM BUT ARE WE MESSING
THIS UP?
THAT WAS MY MOMENT OF WE COULD
REALLY BE MESSING THIS UP.
>> YOU FROM WHAT I READ REALIZED
YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF MAKING
DECISIONS FOR YOUR CHILD.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS YOU
WANT OTHERS TO KNOW.
JAMES, YOU TELL ME, PARENTS NEED
TO FEEL EMPOWERED AT THESE
MOMENTS.
>> IT'S YOUR CHILDREN, IT'S YOUR
CHOICE.
YOU DON'T LET ANYBODY MAKE THAT
DECISION FOR YOU.
WE SPENT FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS
BEFORE THEY WERE BORN MAKING
THESE DECISIONS AND THEN ANOTHER
SIX OR SEVEN MONTHS MAKING THESE
DECISIONS.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU
HAVE TO TRUST YOU MADE THE RIGHT
DECISION WITH THE INFORMATION AT
THE TIME.
IF SOMETHING WENT WRONG, YOU'RE
NEVER PREPARED FOR THAT.
AT LEAST YOU WENT INTO IT
KNOWING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
>> IT'S A RISK BUT A CALCULATED
RISK.
YOU HAD GREAT DOCTORS ADVISING
YOU ON WHAT THE ODDS WERE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> OF COURSE WE ALL WANT TO MEET
THE GIRLS, DON'T WE?
AF
>>> BACK IN 2000, DOCTORS TOLD
EMILY AND JAMES STARK NEWS THAT
SHOCKED THEM.
THEY HAD DISCOVERED THEIR TWIN
BABIES WERE CONJOINED.
THEYINTESTINES, TAILBONE
AND SPINE.
SEVEN MONTHS LATER THE INFANTS
WERE HEADED INTO A HIGH-RISK
SURGERY TO BE SEPARATED.
HOW ARE THEY DOING 17 YEARS
LATER?
COMING ON OUT SIDNEY AND LEXI.
>> HI, SIDNEY, RIGHT?
>> HI.
>> THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
HI, LEXI.
>> HI.
>> SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> HAPPY.
WE'RE SO GLAD TO BE HERE.
>> HOW ADORABLE ARE YOUR
PARENTS?
>> OH, MY GOD, THEY ARE
PRECIOUS.
>> WE ARE.
>> SO YOU DON'T HAVE ANY MAJOR
HEALTH PROBLEMS AS A RESULT OF
THIS.
>> NO, THANKFULLY, THANKFULLY
NO.
>> LINGERING EFFECTS AT ALL?
>> WE HAVE BEEN VERY BLESSED TO
ONLY HAVE MINOR --
>> WHAT ABOUT, DO YOU HAVE A BIG
OLD SCAR FROM THE SEPARATION?
>> YES.
WE HAVE SCARS ON OUR BACK AND
FROM THE COLOSTOMY, YOU CAN SEE
WHEN WE WEAR SWIM SUITS BUT IT
DOESN'T BOTHER US AT ALL.
>> I WOULD SAY ON THE BREAK,
THIS WOULD BE THE MOST FUN
REVEAL EVER.
MEETING A NEW PERSON, GUESS
WHAT, ARE PEOPLE STUNNED WHEN
THEY FIND OUT?
>> YEAH, WHEN WE TELL THEM WE
ONLY HAVE ONE BUTT CHEEK, THEY
ARE LIKE REALLY?
I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE.
>> YEAH, WE GET THE OLD, I HAD
NO IDEA ALL THE TIME.
>> IS IT TRUE -- YOU HAVE VERY
DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES.
>> YES.
>> WHO IS THE OUTGOING ONE?
>> WE BOTH ARE OUTGOING.
>> IT DEPENDS ON THE SITUATION.
>> OKAY.
IS THERE A ONE THAT'S AN
EXTROVERT, INTROVERT, BIGGER AND
QUIETER.
>> I TEND TO GO FOR IT FIRST AND
SHE WILL AFTER ME.
>> IS IT TRUE WHEN YOU SLEEP YOU
TAKE A NAP TOGETHER IN THE SAME
BED YOU REVERT --
>> WE CALL IT CONJOINED TWIN
POSITION WHERE WE BOTH GO BACK
INTO THIS BACK-TO-BACK WITH HER
NUZZLED RIGHT HERE, HER HEAD.
>> I LOVE THAT.
>> THAT'S HOW THEY WERE?
>> IT'S 100% HOW THEY WERE.
WHEN THEY ARE SUPER STRESSED AND
YOU WALK IN THEIR BEDROOM,
YOU'RE LIKE, THEY ARE STRESSED
BECAUSE THEY ARE BACK IN THAT
POSITION.
>> DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER
TO GET IN THAT POSITION.
>> JUST A COMFORT POSITION.
>> JUST BEING BY HER, PUTTING MY
HEAD ON HER, IT'S SO CALMING.
>> OH, MY GOSH.
WE'VE HEARD ABOUT TWINS HAVING
SENSES.
SOMETIMES YOU HEAR ABOUT MOTHER
AND CHILD HAVING IT AND
SOMETIMES TWINS.
YOU'VE HAD SOME OF THOSE
EXPERIENCES?
>> FOR SURE, FOR SURE.
>> WHAT HAS HAPPENED?
>> WE WERE PROBABLY FIVE OR SIX
AND I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL AND I
WAS GETTING A SHOT.
IT WAS A PAINFUL SHOT.
I WASN'T -- I WAS UNBOTHERED.
MY PARENTS WERE ON THE PHONE AND
MY DAD WAS TELLING MY MOM MY
SISTER WAS FREAKING OUT.
SHE WAS IN TEARS AND HYSTERICSH,
I WAS GETTING THE SHOT AND
NOTHING WAS HAPPENING.
>> SHE WAS IN A TOTALLY
DIFFERENT PLACE.
NOTHING WAS HAPPENING TO YOU.
>> SHE WAS AT HOME, I WAS IN THE
HOSPITAL.
WE WERE IN COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
AREAS.
>> WHAT ABOUT WHEN ONE OF YOU IS
UPSET, DOES THE OTHER ONE --
>> YES.
IN SITUATIONS WHERE I GET UPSET
OR AN UPSETTING SITUATION FOR
ME, SOMETIMES I WON'T GET UPSET.
I'LL BE LIKE, IT'S NOT A BIG
DEAL.
SHE'S OVER HERE, THAT'S SO
AWFUL, OH, MY GOODNESS.
SHE'S FREAKING OUT FOR ME.
>> DO YOU EVER NOT KNOW WHY
YOU'RE UPSET.
>> SOMETIMES I DO.
SHE'LL COME HOME AND SAY I HAVE
A BAD DAY.
THERE IT IS.
>> CAN YOU IMAGINE?
SOME OF YOUR BAD DAYS GO TO HER
AND TO YOU SO IT'S NOT DOUBLE
BAD.
>> SO YOU'RE GOING OFF TO
COLLEGE NOW.
>> SUPER EXCITED.
I'LL BE APPLYING FOR MY FIRST
PICK COLLEGE.
>> ARE YOU GOING TO GO TOGETHER
OR APART?
>> NO, ACTUALLY SUPER APART.
I WANT TO GO TO THE UNIVERSITY
OF MISSOURI IN ST. LOUIS AND SHE
WANTS TO GO TO UNIVERSITY OF
CALGARY.
SO NOT ONLY IS IT A DIFFERENT
STATE --
>> WHO ARE YOU GOING TO SNUGGLE
WITH WHEN IT'S TIME TO GET IN
POSITION.
DON'T ANSWER.
WE'LL TALK WHEN YOUR PARENTS
AREN'T HERE.
LISTEN, THANK YOU FOR TELLING
YOUR STORY.
I KNOW -- THIS IS SUCH A
BEAUTIFUL STORY.
THEY DIDN'T SEE A LOT OF
POSITIVE LITERATURE OUT THERE ON
CONJOINED TWINS, AND THEY WANTED
OTHER PARENTS TO KNOW THERE IS A
POTENTIAL GREAT OUTCOME
DEPENDING ON YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES,