Abigail and Brittany Hensel are conjoined twins, born with separate heads but a completely joined body - an extremely rare condition that is seldom survived into adulthood.
Today, after graduating from Bethel University, Abby and Brittany lead a normal life, working as elementary school teachers - but they have overcome amazing adversity in order to do so.
Their life story, medical condition and special relationship with one another are all fascinating and touching - and have subsequently given rise a documentary television show, Abby & Brittany, on the TLC network. In addition to giving us a glance at their inspirational lives, the show has also helped skyrocket them into international fame.
How do these siblings deal with everyday activities? And what special perspective have they gained, thanks to their condition?
Image by @abbyandbrittany / Instagram
Read on to find out.
What Are the Odds?
Conjoined twins are an extremely rare phenomenon, estimated to range from 1 in 49,000 births to 1 in 189,000 births. Out of these, approximately half are stillborn, and an additional third don't make it past 24 hours. These are grim odds, and so, meeting a pair of conjoined twins who've made it to adulthood is almost virtually unheard of.
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Abby and Brittany are an even rarer case, considering they are what's called dicephalic parapagus twins, meaning they have two heads - but share the same body, with only one pair of hands and one pair of legs.
What Do They Share?
Living life as conjoined twins, Abby and Brittany share a lot of things, including clothes - but the most basic thing they share is their body.
Image by @ abbyandbrittany / Instagram
While the top halves of their bodies are separate - each twin has her own spine, lungs and heart - the lower half of their body is joined, including their legs, liver, large intestine, bladder and reproductive organs.
Coordination
Abby and Brittany have one leg and one arm each, which means that in order to carry out even the most basic tasks, like walking, sitting or holding a knife and fork - not to mention riding a bike or typing - they need to be coordinated.
Image by @Abigail and Brittany Hensel / Facebook
Amazingly enough, the twins are able to coordinate their movements fairly easily, and have learned to walk, run and play at the same rate other children their age have.
Double (Paperwork) Trouble
Image by @Naked Stories / Youtube
Not the Same Height
While Abby and Brittany are conjoined, genetically identical twins, they are actually different heights!
Image by @Abigail and Brittany Hensel / Facebook
Abby has a slightly longer leg, and stands at 5'2" (1.57 m), while Britttany is 4'10" (1.47 m). This doesn't bother them most of the time, but it does result in a distinct gait which can sometimes look like a limp. This doesn't keep them from riding a bike, swim or run, but ne place where it does hinder them, however, is quite unexpected; because of their different heights, they have trouble riding a Segway!
All Roads Lead to Oprah
Today, Abby and Brittany are quite the celebrities - but their very first media appearance can be traced back to Oprah.
Image by @Abigail and Brittany Hensel / Facebook
After Oprah interviewed them, public interest in the twins spike, and TLC filmed a documentary about them. The documentary was so successful, that the twins were offered to star in a reality TV show about their lives - and today, are actually quite well known and recognized throughout the world.
