Diagnosed with only a 5% chance of survival, conjoined twins Callie and Carter are still healthy and developing like normal children.
Ms. Chelsea Torres, 30 years old, gave birth to Callie and Carter in 2017. The two are conjoined from the sternum, have their own heart and stomach, but share a liver, intestines and bladder. Each child has one leg and two arms.
Doctors diagnosed that the two babies had only a 5% chance of survival when they were born. However, Callie and Carter are now 6 years old, still healthy, use wheelchairs to move, and learn to walk by coordinating movements through physical therapy.
Chelsea calls this a miracle. When she discovered she was pregnant with conjoined twins in 2016, she never intended to have an abortion. She gave birth by cesarean section at 36 weeks. Doctors planned to operate to separate the two babies, but the surgery was considered too risky.
After being born, the twins spent 5 weeks in the pediatric intensive care unit (NICU), under strict supervision of doctors. After that, the children returned home. The doctor said that Callie and Carter’s health is stable and can be cared for like normal children.
Conjoined twins Callie and Carter are still healthy after being diagnosed with only a 5% chance of living. Photo: Chelsea Torres
According to Chelsea, her two daughters are just like any other children. Each child has unique personality and interests.
“Even though they are in unusual circumstances, please treat them normally. They like to be seen as any other children. They are going to school, doing physical therapy, riding bicycles,” she said. speak.
Chelsea said Callie is “very feminine”, while Carter is the opposite. Like siblings, the two sometimes argue and disagree.
“We try to give our children alone time, even though they are conjoined twins. We always remember that Callie and Carter are two separate children,” the mother said.
In order for both of them to have private time, the mother gives each child a pair of headphones and a tablet, ensuring their leisure time does not interfere with each other.
Chelsea said the hardest part is finding clothes that suit her two children’s physical condition. She had to make special clothes for them with the lower body sewn together.
Chelsea shares her two children’s story to raise awareness about conjoined twins. The TikTok channel, where she regularly shares videos about her daughter’s daily life, has attracted more than 205,000 followers. Viewers enjoyed images of Callie and Carter swimming, horseback riding, bicycling and having fun.
Chelsea said she is willing to agree to surgery to separate her two children in the future, if they have wishes and medical conditions allow.
“However, the children seem to be used to this life. They seem surprised when people mention separation. If the children want to do it, we will try and support it, and understand it.” informed about the risks of surgery,” Chelsea said.
Conjoined twins Callie and Carter were born. Photo: Chelsea Torres
Conjoined twins are twins whose bodies are physically connected, occurring one in every 50,000 to 60,000 births. 75% of conjoined twins have their chests connected, sharing the same internal organs. About 70% are female, most die early. If there are separate organs, the child’s chances of surgery and survival are higher. Conjoined twins who share the same heart cannot be separated surgically.
Conjoined twins are often diagnosed early by pregnancy ultrasound. A thorough prenatal evaluation is especially important for babies, because the location, level of birth, and shared organs determine whether surgical separation of the adhesions is possible.
