Posted on 08/12/2012 2:16:44 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Abigail and Brittany Hensel to get their own TV show now
As the London Olympics 2012 drench us in stories of great inspiration and heart-rending stories of triumph this one is right up there with a gold medal effort. And maybe more.
These sisters share a body and are the rarest form of conjoined twins,In fact, they were never expected to survive beyond a few days.
Abigail and Brittany Hensel have not only survived, they have gone on to live as normal lives as is possible and went from darling children, to plucky teenagers and, now, beautiful young women.
They have two spines (which join at the pelvis), two hearts, two oesophagi, two stomachs, three kidneys, two gall bladders, four lungs (two of which are joined),one liver, one ribcage, a shared circulatory system and partially shared nervous systems.
From the waist down, all organs, including the intestine, bladder and reproductive organs, are shared.
The 22-year-olds, who share one body fused at the torso, will soon be starring in their own reality TV show.
The girls first captivated the world in 1996 when they appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and the cover of Life Magazine.
The show takes you from their graduation from Bethel University in Minnesota, their post-grad job search and their travels through Europe with friends.
The broadcaster has now given them their own show called 'Abby and Brittany' which will premiere on August 28.
Their parents Patty, 46 and Mike, 47, never once considered having the twins separated, through fear that one or both might die or be left with such severe disabilities their quality of life would be compromised and could no longer enjoy all the activities they love.
For the visual story of their lives watch this video:
After being conjoined all their lives as they have, you can be sure of it. The original Siamese twins considered getting separated in order to get married, and they had the money and the doctor to do it. They decided against it because they could not imagine being apart.
(Well, they actually could imagine it...that was the trouble. It scared them completely out of having the operation!)
And I betcha they can use the HOV lane anytime they want!
The vagina would have to be occupied on a time-share basis.
The pressure to perform would be double! You’d have twice as much anger to deal with if they weren’t satisfied. You’d have twice as much foreplay requirements before getting busy. I think most guys would pass once the novelty wore off...which would probably happen after 5 minutes.
“... their adaptation to it and their every day behavior is very normal and very human”.
Actually, I think their adaptation to their condition is above normal. I don’t know how many other people could decide to learn to drive, go to school, travel etc... knowing full well that they would be stared at (and yes, some mean people would probably point and laugh). Their human spirit just seems extraordinary to me. Bless them for what they have endured and risen above.
Cheers!
No biggie. Apparently lots of women do that even without being conjoined in the first place.
Cheers!
What's this "we" business? You mean you, and people who think as you do. Speak for yourself. Would you be surprised to learn that there were Jewish people and free black people here in the antebellum era, too?
At least you learned something tonight. That's always a good thing.
I used “we” as shorthand for “the American people,” whose perspective on the South is based largely on its portrayal in the media.
Which I assume you will agree does indeed portray the prewar South as racist and backward.
You obviously have a bee up your butt. My comment was with regard to the common perception, not necessarily my own belief. I did not claim that the perception was accurate, merely that it is widespread.
Do you disagree that it is a common perception? If you do agree that there is a common perception of the South as racist, what is your argument with me?
In fact, my original comment was pointing out that the Engs’ experience in North Carolina indicates this common perception may be less than fully accurate. Do you disagree with that? Why would you object to my pointing out that the common perception of the South of the time as racist may be somewhat incomplete?
Continue to question your prior assumptions, Sherman Logan. That is the best suggestion I can provide.
We do not know that they will not successfully marry. They may have limitations in some areas, but in other areas their lives may be far more varied and interesting than many other people's lives. They have already traveled in Europe, which is something that I never have done. They have many good friends and a loving family, which many "normal" people cannot boast.
It looks like their lives, though not "normal", may be of a higher quality and greater good than many other people's who would be considered "normal". I don't think we have to feel sorry for them at all, as they seem very well adjusted and quite happy, which is something that many, many people are not. Their handicap seems to have worked in their lives to help them become strong and resilient, because they have not let it stop them from being happy.
Give me a break. They share a body, including the private "marriage-relevant" part. How is that going to work?
The emperor has no clothes, and apparently, a lot of FReepers are pretending that he does.
Conjoined twins have married (and voted) in the past. Look up the Hilton Sisters from the 1920s-1960s for one example. Then there are the “Siamese Twins” (the Ing brothers?).
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