Inspiring Dicephalus Twins: Unbelievable Capabilities

  • Context: Medical 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Ryan_m_b
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the capabilities and inspiring lives of conjoined twins Abigail and Brittany Hensel, who are dicephalus twins. Participants share their amazement at the twins' coordination and active lifestyle, referencing a video that showcases their abilities.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express astonishment at the twins' abilities to control different sides of their body and coordinate activities such as walking, running, and riding a bicycle.
  • Others highlight specific instances from a video, such as the twins tying knots in a shirt without verbal communication, demonstrating their remarkable coordination.
  • One participant shares detailed information about the twins' anatomy and medical background, noting their shared and individual organs, and the challenges they faced at birth.
  • There is mention of the twins' achievements, including passing their driving test and engaging in various activities like playing the piano and participating in sports.
  • Concerns are raised about potential future health issues, although participants note that the twins have not shown any significant problems so far.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the inspiring nature of the twins' lives and capabilities, but there is no explicit consensus on the implications of their medical conditions or potential future health risks.

Contextual Notes

Some statements regarding the twins' health and medical predictions are based on historical context and may not reflect their current status or future outcomes.

Ryan_m_b
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
Insights Author
Messages
5,964
Reaction score
727
I'm stunned by these twins, I've never seen such capable conjoined twins! Absolutely amazing and inspiring.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K57IcN9DWXo&feature=g-vrec
 
Biology news on Phys.org
It really is amazing. Each girl controls one side of the body - one leg, one arm. Yet they've learned to coordinate in order to walk, run and even ride a bicycle.
 
Evo said:
It really is amazing. Each girl controls one side of the body - one leg, one arm. Yet they've learned to coordinate in order to walk, run and even ride a bicycle.
It really is amazing, they coordinate so well and live such active lives. There's a bit later in the video where they tie knots in a shirt quickly without talking at all.
 
It looks like their gist for life makes them enjoy life to the full.
Inspiring.
 
Here's some more information about these twins.
The Sun,UK, Sunday, August 19, 2012

Abigail and Brittany Hensel, Teenagers who defied all medical odds to live
by LYNSEY HAYWOOD

Last Updated: 22nd June 2010

Teenagers Abigail and Brittany Hensel prove that twins CAN share a body and live an active and happy life.

They have even passed their driving test with each sister using one arm to control the steering wheel.

The 18-year-old dicephalus twins have two spines, which join at the pelvis, two hearts and stomachs, three kidneys, two gall bladders and four lungs.

But they share one liver and ribcage and a nervous system.

Below the waist all organs including intestines, bladder and reproductive organs are shared.

Each twin controls one side of the body and they can play the piano, swim, ride a bike and take part in sports.

The Hensels, born on March 7, 1990, in Minnesota, are thought to be one of only four sets of dicephalus twins ever to survive into teen years.

Doctors warned their parents, nurse Patty and carpenter Mike, they were unlikely to survive their first night.

Only one set of twins in every 40,000 is born connected in some way and only one per cent of these survive beyond the first year.

Doctors are worried that Abigail and Brittany will eventually suffer heart or other organ defects.

But none has shown so far and the twins even hope to marry one day.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2120555/US-dicephalus-twins-who-defied-all-medical-odds-to-live.html#ixzz23wtXTX7y
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I remember seeing a show about them when they were little kids, I'm glad they're doing okay.
 

Similar threads

Mixing between Neolithic Farmers and Mesolithic Hunter-Gatherers
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
High School Twin Paradox: Orbital Geodesics, Gravity, & Time Dilation
  • · Replies 25 ·
Replies
25
Views
3K
Medical Acute severe Hepatitis in Children, theories as to causation
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
High School How does the density of air affect the note you hear?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Graduate Sacks' Autistic Twins and Prime Testing
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
High School My paraphrased explanation of the Twin Paradox
  • · Replies 24 ·
Replies
24
Views
6K
Graduate Inconsequence in Lawrence Krauss lecture
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Undergrad How Does the Twin Paradox Illustrate Time Dilation in Special Relativity?
  • · Replies 71 ·
3
Replies
71
Views
10K
Looking for movies where mathematics actually matters
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
2K
Graduate RIP Daniel Kleppner (1932-2025)
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K