With their incredible story, conjoined twins Abby and Brittany Hensel have won the hearts
of people everywhere.
Fused together at the torso, each twin controls one side of their shared body, and they've
managed to learn how to walk and perform complex daily tasks in flawless unison.
Initially, doctors were uncertain what their future would hold, but the sisters have since
proven that they beat medical odds and are flourishing as adults.
Here are some things you may not know about the Hensel twins.
No one knew
Parents Patty and Mike Hensel didn't know they were expecting conjoined twins.
Doctors later concluded that the twins' heads must have been perfectly aligned during each
sonogram, giving the appearance of one head.
According to Time, at one point doctors dismissed Mike's claim that he had heard two heartbeats
during a sonogram.
When the conjoined twins were pulled out revealing two heads, their physician admitted that everyone
in the delivery room was so stunned that the room fell silent for about half a minute.
Mike wasn't in the room at the time, so when he was given the news, he wasn't too happy
with the way the message was delivered.
He told Time,
"They had a pretty crude way of telling me.
They said, 'They've got one body and two heads.'"
Patty, who was still under sedation after the birth, said she heard the word "Siamese,"
and asked the hospital staff,
"I had cats?"
Three arms
Abby has control over the right side of their body while Brittany can move the left side.
Each girl controls one arm and one leg, and they are unable to feel anything on the side
of the body that they can't control.
According to Gawker, they've mastered how to coordinate most of their everyday activities,
but things may have been different if the girls had not undergone one particular procedure.
Time reported that they were born with three arms, but the extra limb, located between
their two heads, was surgically removed during infancy.
Individuals
As the reality of raising conjoined twins sunk in, Brittany and Abby's parents were
forced to discuss their options regarding the girls' health and physical well-being.
Even though separation is sometimes suggested by medical professionals, their parents reportedly
never entertained the idea.
Patty encouraged her daughters to present themselves as individuals even though they
shared the same body.
According to BuzzFeed, she said,
"When children ask the girls if they have two heads, they say they don't, but that each
has their own head.
That's what we have encouraged them to do, to develop their own individuality as much
as possible."
Splitting up
Since birth, Brittany has been more likely to catch the common cold and has been diagnosed
with pneumonia twice.
According to the Daily Mail, Abby reportedly grew agitated about having to remain immobilized
while her sister was ill.
Abby raised the topic of surgical separation, which reduced Brittany to tears.
After that, Abby reassured her sister that they'd remain together forever, and she hasn't
looked back.
She later said,
"We never wish we were separated — because we would never be able to do all the things
that we do now … like play softball, run and do sports."
Everyday inconsistencies
Heading out into public can pose many challenges for the twins, and they've had to learn how
to handle certain situations that most of us never think twice about.
According to the BBC, although they've been treated as two separate people by their family
and friends, they only purchase one plane ticket while traveling.
On the flip side, BuzzFeed reported that the sisters purchase two separate tickets when
they go to the movie theater.
It sounds like Abby and Brittany are used to the fact that there's no concrete set of
rules for them to follow.
Drivers
On an episode of their 2012 reality show Abby & Brittany, the girls revealed that they're
licensed drivers, and pretty darn good at it, too!
They each had to take separate driving tests, and they both passed with flying colors.
The duo says it's a team effort ...
"Abby is in control of the gas and the brakes" "And then we both steer."
"Obviously.
And then I'm in charge of the clicker."
One salary
While each twin earned her own teaching license, they reportedly did not expect to receive
two separate salaries as math teachers.
Abby told the BBC,
"Obviously right away we understand that we are going to get one salary because we're
doing the job of one person."
In regards to getting a raise as they move up the ladder, Brittany said,
"As maybe experience comes in we'd like to negotiate a little bit, considering we have
two degrees and because we are able to give two different perspectives or teach in two
different ways."
Thankfully, it appears the twins got the salary they felt they deserved, as they were listed
as fifth-grade teachers as recently as February 2018.
"It think it's gonna go well for them, because they've just always had a knack with kids.
And kids have always kind of been drawn to them."
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