Abby and Brittany Hensel are conjoined twins that surprised their mother, and even the world with how long-lasting life they have today. Conjoined twins or a dicephalic parapagus is a rare condition in which the twins are connecter with some of the parts of their body, and the chances of survival are very thin.
Their parents made a smart choice when they were presented with an option to either have surgery and separate them, thus getting the risk of losing one of the girls or to have them live conjoined as they were born.
Source: In Touch Weekly
Contents
Bio
Abigail Loraine and Brittany Lee Hansel were born on March 7, 1990. Their mother Patty is a nurse, and their father named Mike Hensel is a landscaper and a carpenter. The twins were born in Carver County, located in the state of Minnesota, in the United States of America. However, they grew up in another place in Minnesota, called New Germany.
Their parents were more than surprised when on March 7 in 1990 they were told that Patty would be having not one child, but two. They didn’t know anything up until that moment, and they were shocked when they discovered that she was having twins. After she delivered the babies, it was seen at the moment that they were under a condition called dicephalic parapagus, or in other words, they were conjoined twins.
The survival ratio for conjoined twins is one in every 400,000 after the delivery.
Conjoined
As we mentioned before, the chances of survival of the conjoined twins are extremely slim, and Patty and Mike Hensel were given two options. They could have an operation and try to separate Abby and Brittany, but there was a strong possibility that not one, but both of them won’t survive either the operation or the next few days. The other option was to leave them conjoined, and go from there and see how they develop and try to maintain their living situation for as long as possible.
The parents were put under a tough decision. They were expecting to have one safe, and sound girl delivered, but this put them through quite a test. However, they made a good call, a tough one, but a great one, and they decided not to undergo any risk of losing either one of them, and they made a decision to leave them conjoined.
Source: BBC
Abigail “Abby” Loraine Hensel and Brittany “Britt” Lee Hensel have one body, two heads, and two necks, and their vital organs are each for herself. They have four lungs, two hearts, three kidneys, two spines which are linked together at the pelvic area, and they have one ribcage. In addition to the ribcage, the girls also share a common circulatory and nervous system, as well as the reproductive system.
Throughout the years, the girl learned how to do everyday things together. They learned how to synchronize and to coordinate, and they are now one of the longest-lasting conjoined twins.
They had three surgeries to help them better function and live together. When they were babies, they had surgery to remove the third hand that was growing from their chest, and when they were 12 years old; they had to alter Abby’s spine and stop it from growing, as it was causing harm to Brittany. Another surgery came when they had to have their chest cavity enlarged, to help them breathe better.
Source: Gentside UK
Personal life
Abby and Brittany Hensel attended Mayet Lutheran High School, and after graduating, they went to attend the University of Bether, St. Paul. Upon finishing, the twins wanted to travel the world, and they managed to do so, and so far they have been in various countries and parts of the world. Abby and Brittany started working as 4th-grade teachers, and due to their impressive hard work, they were soon promoted to 5th-grade teachers.
Abby and Brittany Hensel Dating
When it comes to maintaining relationships, especially romantic ones, it can be quite hard for one person. Imagine if you are joined with your twin sister and try to do even the smallest things in life. Abby and Brittany are keeping their love life on the low, and they aren’t even sharing details of that side of their life to their mother.
They mentioned how would they love to have families on their own, but they need to consider things through, as they are not the same, they are two individuals with one body. Sex and marriage life is very tricky, but given the optimism the girls have, we believe that they will find happiness one day. They are currently single but hoping that would change one day.
Source: thesun.co.uk
Media
Abby and Brittany Hensel are quite popular due to their condition. They have appeared in numerous interviews and talk shows, like in Oprah Winfrey Show. They even had a documentary made about them. TLC was resent during their teenage years, and they were also featured on BBC, Extraordinary People, ABC TV, Discovery Health Channels and so on.
However, Abby and Brittany aren’t that interested in being present in the media and visible to the public eye. They don’t like the attention their condition was given them, and they like to lead a quiet and peaceful life. They don’t like it when people stop and stare at them, and even take pictures of them while they are walking down the streets.
Personalities
They may be one body, but they are two different souls and two different minds. Abby is a little bossier and demanding, and she is louder and outspoken. She doesn’t like the noise city life provides, and while she loves caffeine, she isn’t pouring it in her body as Brittany has a heart condition and that affects her.
Brittany, on the other hand, is a quieter person, she is more fragile, contemplative, and reserved. Unlike Abby, Brittany loves the city life and the craziness it gives, and she is excellent in mathematics. The twins support each other in whatever they do, as they learned to live and coordinate with one another over the years, and they always have each other to lean on.
Source: NY Daily News
Abby and Brittany Hensel Net Worth 2024
Abby is a taller twin, and she is 5 feet 2 inches tall, while Brittany is just 4 feet and ten inches, and she always has to wear something with a heel in order to walk more easily due to Abby’s height. The estimated net worth of the twins is rumored to be around $700,000.
