Alex Carson
Abby and Brittany Hensel have captivating audiences since they born conjoined twins in 1990. Now, the sisters are again making headlines with their latest career move, leaving fans stunned and amazed. Despite their unique challenges throughout their lives, Abby and Brittany have always lived their lives to the fullest, defying expectations and inspiring others along the way. In this video, we’ll explore the inspiring story of the Hensel sisters and the exciting new job that has left fans in awe.
Anatomy
Abigail and Brittany Hensel, born on the 7th of March, 1990, are a remarkable pair of American conjoined twins who captured the world’s attention with their unique physical attributes and incredible resilience. As dicephalic parapagus twins, they possess two heads seamlessly united with a single torso. Creating an unusually symmetrical appearance for conjoined siblings. This extraordinary fusion results in a body that closely mirrors typical human proportions, despite the presence of two distinct personalities and sets of internal organs.
Each sister equipped with her own vital organs, including a heart, stomach, spine, pair of lungs, and spinal cord. This arrangement allows them to maintain separate yet interconnected lives within their shared body. Remarkably, Abigail and Brittany have developed the ability to control one arm and one leg each, necessitating a profound level of cooperation and coordination in order to accomplish even the most basic tasks.
The Hensel twins, who share a single body, are truly extraordinary in their physical composition. They have distinct heads and necks, a chest that is broader than average, a pair of arms, and two legs. When Abby and Brittany Hensel were born, an undeveloped arm connected to a shoulder blade situated between Abby and Brittany Hensel necks. This appendage eventually removed. And leaving only the shoulder blade in place.
Abby’s head leans slightly 5 degrees to the right. While Brittany’s head angles more noticeably at 15 degrees to the left. This has caused Brittany to appear shorter, even when sitting. Brittany’s leg is almost two inches shorter than Abby’s. And which has led her to walk and stand on her tiptoes, resulting in a noticeably larger calf muscle compared to her sister. Abby’s spinal growth intentionally halted through surgery after Brittany’s growth ceased prematurely. At 12 years old, the twins underwent an operation at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare to address scoliosis and expand their chest cavity to avert potential respiratory issues.
Each sister manages one side of their conjoined body, with their sense of touch restricted to their respective halves. There is a minor overlap at the midline. But stomach aches are only experienced by the twin on the opposite side.
The Hensel twins have learned to collaborate seamlessly when using their limbs, enabling them to walk, run, swim, play volleyball and piano, and ride a bicycle with remarkable ease. They can also type on a computer keyboard and drive a car together. However, their differing heights – Abby standing at 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) and Brittany at 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m) – have created challenges in balancing on a Segway. And as demonstrated in their 2012 reality series.
Upon their birth, the Abby and Brittany Hensel’s parents decided against surgical separation after informed by doctors that the likelihood of both surviving the procedure was slim. As the girls grew and learned to walk and develop other skills, their parents remained steadfast in their decision. They believe that the twin(s) who survive would have a lower quality of life if they were to live independently than they do now as conjoined persons.
Individuality
Abby and Brittany are extraordinary twins who share a single body. And yet they retain their individuality in various aspects of life. Although they have learned to navigate life with a shared torso. It doesn’t mean everything comes easily, especially in matters as personal as dating.
The sisters have been notably private about their dating lives, but they have expressed their desire to marry and start a family someday. Abby shared with The Daily Mirror that they are going to be moms one day but don’t want to talk about how it’s going to work yet.
The twins emphasize their independence and wish to maintain their privacy. Brittany added that the whole world doesn’t need to know who they are seeing, what they are doing, or when they are going to do it. Contrary to social media rumors, Brittany is not married or engaged. The sisters lead a quiet life, away from the media spotlight and without social media accounts. She also emphasized how completely different she is from her sister.
As Abby and Brittany Hensel are both medically and legally recognized as separate individuals, administrative tasks can be more complex than one might imagine. Throughout their education, they each completed their own coursework, took individual SATs, and applied to college separately. They also require individual passports for travel but only need to purchase a single plane ticket, as they occupy just one seat. Both sisters had to take separate driving tests and hold individual driving licenses.
Despite sharing a body, Brittany and Abby possess their own brains, thoughts, and emotions. They have spent every moment of their lives together, understanding each other better than anyone else ever could. As a result, they share a unique connection. And often finishing each other’s sentences, yet they can still hold two separate conversations simultaneously. This skill proves particularly useful when answering students’ questions in the classroom.
Though conjoined, Brittany and Abby celebrate their distinct personalities and individuality. They often have their clothing custom-tailored for special occasions, ensuring that the neckline fits comfortably for each twin. Given Brittany’s shorter stature compared to Abby, this is a more comfortable solution. Occasionally, they wear pants with slightly different colors on each leg, allowing each sister to express her personal style. While they are the best of friends, their unique personalities, interests. And life goals set them apart as two remarkable women.
Making it into adulthood
Navigating adulthood as dicephalic parapagus twins is no small feat, making Abby and Brittany’s journey truly remarkable. These extraordinary twins defied the odds, as such twins rarely survive into adulthood. As teenagers, they successfully passed both their written and practical driver’s license exams separately. Despite the necessity for coordination while driving, state law required individual licenses. Abby operates the controls on the right side of the driver’s seat, while Brittany manages those on the left. And they share control of the steering wheel.
In 2008, both sisters graduated from high school and went on to attend Bethel University in Arden Hills, Minnesota. They pursued a major in education, initially considering different concentrations within the field. However, the substantial volume of additional coursework deterred them, and they ultimately graduated with Bachelor of Arts degrees in 2012.
The twins are mindful of their individuality, often having their clothes altered by a seamstress to create two separate necklines. While they typically enjoy separate meals, they occasionally share one for convenience. When tackling tasks like responding to emails, they type and respond in unison. Intuitively anticipating each other’s thoughts with minimal verbal communication. Their choice of grammatical person reflects their agreement or disagreement, using “I” when they concur and their names when they differ.
Abby and Brittany dislike being the center of attention or being photographed by strangers during their daily lives. In 2006, at the age of 16, they participated in interviews for the Discovery Channel. Expressing their hopes to date, marry, and have children. By sharing some personal information, they aimed to foster a sense of understanding. And, in turn, lead relatively normal social lives.
In 2013, the sisters embarked on a teaching career, and as of today, they continue to teach fifth grade at Sunnyside Elementary in New Brighton, Minnesota.
Media appearances
The extraordinary Hensel twins have captured the interest of the public over the years, appearing on numerous television shows and documentaries. On April 8 and 29, 1996, they were featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. That same month, they graced the cover of Life magazine with the headline “One Body, Two Souls,” accompanied by an article titled “The Hensels’ Summer” that described their daily life. Life published a follow-up story in September 1998.
In 2002, the twins were the subject of “Joined for Life,” a TV documentary produced by Advanced Medical Productions. It aired on the Discovery Health Channel, followed by a 2003 sequel, Joined at Birth. An updated account of their lives at age 11 (filmed in 2001) was published in Time magazine and later in Life. ABC TV also produced a documentary titled “Joined For Life.”
The Hensel twins were featured in a 2005 UK television special as part of the Extraordinary People series. In 2006, Advanced Medical produced yet another documentary, “Joined for Life: Abby & Brittany Turn 16,” which explored their teenage years, schooling, social life, and milestones such as obtaining their driver’s licenses.
In August 2012, the twins starred in their own reality TV show, Abby & Brittany. The BBC in the UK aired “Abby and Brittany: Joined for Life” in May 2013, chronicling the period from their college graduation to the start of their part-time teaching careers. Throughout these appearances, Abby and Brittany have continued to inspire and captivate audiences around the world.
Hobbies
Among their numerous impressive accomplishments, their ability to play the piano has astounded Abby and Brittany’s doctors the most. Mastering the piano is a challenging feat for anyone, let alone conjoined twins who must navigate the complexities of mental and physical coordination.
As each twin controls a single arm, their piano-playing ability demands extraordinary synchronization skills. They must press the correct keys at the precise moment and maintain a consistent rhythm in harmony with each other, showcasing their incredible teamwork and coordination.
There you have it. It’s now time to hear from you. Let us know what your favorite part of the video was.
