Abby and Brittany Hensel

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Abby and Brittany Hensel
Born
  • Abigail Loraine Hensel
  • Brittany Lee Hensel

(1990-03-07) March 7, 1990 (age 34)
New Germany, Minnesota, U.S.
Education Bethel University
Occupation(s) Fifth-grade teachers at Sunnyside Elementary in New Brighton, Minnesota [1]

Abigail Loraine Hensel and Brittany Lee Hensel (born March 7, 1990) are American conjoined twins. They are dicephalic parapagus twins (having two heads joined to one torso), and are highly symmetric for conjoined twins. Each has a heart, stomach, spine, pair of lungs, and spinal cord. Each twin controls one arm and one leg. When they were infants, learning to crawl, walk, and clap required cooperation. They can eat and write separately and simultaneously. Activities such as running, swimming, hair-brushing, playing piano or volleyball, riding a bicycle, or driving a car require coordination.

Contents

The twins' lives have been covered in the popular media, including Life magazine and The Oprah Winfrey Show . They were interviewed on The Learning Channel in December 2006, discussing their daily lives and future plans. They starred in their own reality television series, Abby & Brittany , on TLC in 2012. [2] [3]

Since 2013, the two have been teachers in Minnesota. [1] [4]

Background

The twins were born in Carver County, Minnesota, to Patty, a registered nurse, and Mike Hensel, a carpenter and landscaper. They have a younger brother and sister. They were raised in New Germany, Minnesota, attended Mayer Lutheran High School in Mayer, Minnesota, and graduated from Bethel University in St. Paul in 2012. [5]

Physiology

The twins have a single body with separate heads and necks, a chest that is wider than average, two arms, and two legs. At birth, they had a rudimentary arm between the bases of their necks attached to a shoulder blade at the back. It was removed, leaving the shoulder blade.

Abby's head tilts laterally outward about 5 degrees to the right, while Brittany's tilts laterally at about 15 degrees to the left, causing her to appear shorter even when seated. Brittany's leg is nearly two inches shorter than Abby's, and Brittany tends to stand and walk on tip-toe which has made her calf muscle significantly larger than Abby's. [6] The continued growth of Abby's spine was surgically halted after Brittany prematurely stopped growing. [6] At age 12, they underwent surgery at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare to correct scoliosis and to expand their chest cavity to prevent breathing trouble. [7]

Each twin manages one side of their conjoined body. The sense of touch of each is restricted to her body half; this shades off at the midsagittal plane, so that there is a small amount of overlap at the midline. Stomach aches, however, are felt only by the twin on the opposite side. [6]

They cooperatively use their limbs when both hands or both legs are required. By coordinating their efforts, they walk, run, swim, play volleyball and the piano, and ride a bicycle normally. Together, they can type on a computer keyboard and drive a car. [8] However, Abby, at 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m), is taller and longer of leg than Brittany, who is 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m) [9] and their disparate heights caused difficulty in balancing a Segway, as shown in their 2012 reality series. [6]

Organ distribution

The twins have individual organs in the upper part of their body, while most of those at and below the navel are shared, the exception being the spinal cord. [7] [10]

Separation

Upon their birth, the twins' parents decided not to attempt surgical separation after hearing from doctors that it was unlikely that both would survive the operation. As the twins grew and learned to walk and develop other skills, their parents confirmed their decision against separation, arguing that the quality of life for the surviving twin or twins living separately would be less than their quality of life as conjoined people. [11]

Adulthood

Dicephalic parapagus twins rarely survive into adulthood. [12]

As teenagers the twins both passed their written and practical driver's license exams separately because, although driving requires coordination between them, state law required that they each be licensed. Abby controls the devices on the right side of the driver's seat; Brittany, those on the left. Together they control the steering wheel. They both graduated from high school in 2008 and began college at Bethel University in Arden Hills, Minnesota, majoring in education. They had considered pursuing different concentrations within that major, but the volume of extra coursework was prohibitive. [13] They each graduated with Bachelor of Arts degrees in 2012. [13]

Some of the twins' clothes are altered by a seamstress so that they have two separate necklines, in order to emphasize their individuality. [8] They usually have separate meals, but sometimes share a single meal for the sake of convenience. For tasks such as responding to email, they type and respond as one, anticipating each other's feelings with little verbal communication between them. [8] Their choice of grammatical person is to use "I" when they agree, and to use their names when their responses differ.

They intensely dislike being stared at or photographed by strangers while going about their private lives. [14] In interviews for the Discovery Channel in 2006 at the age of 16, they said that they hoped to date, get married, and have children. They also stated that they hoped that by providing some information about themselves, they would be able to lead otherwise fairly typical social lives. [14] [15]

The two became teachers in 2013, [4] and as of 2024 they continue to teach fifth grade at Sunnyside Elementary in New Brighton, Minnesota. [1] [16] In 2021, Abby reportedly married Josh Bowling. [17]

Media appearances

The twins appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on April 8 and 29, 1996. During the same month, they were featured on the cover of Life under the caption "One Body, Two Souls", and their daily lifestyle was described in the article, "The Hensels' Summer". [18] Life followed up with another story in September 1998. In 2002, they appeared in Joined for Life, a TV documentary by Advanced Medical Productions, distributed on the Discovery Health Channel [19] and a 2003 follow-up, Joined at Birth. [20]

In 2003, an updated story of them at age 11 (filmed in 2001) was published in Time and again in Life . ABC TV also did a documentary called "Joined for Life". [21] [22] A UK television special in 2005 was part of the series Extraordinary People . [23] In 2006, Advanced Medical made another documentary, Joined for Life: Abby & Brittany turn 16, [24] that discusses their adolescence, school, social life, and activities such as getting their driver's licenses. [11]

The twins starred in the TLC reality TV show Abby & Brittany that was shown in the US from August to October 2012 [2] It was shown by the BBC in the UK in April and May 2013 and covers the period from their finishing college to starting a part-time teaching job. [4]

Filmography

Documentaries and other television appearances include:

First airedTitleDistributorProduced by
April 8, 1996 The Oprah Winfrey Show King World Productions Harpo Productions
March 27, 2003Joined for Life Discovery Channel Advanced Medical Productions, American Broadcasting Company
December 17, 2006Joined for Life: Abby and Brittany Turn 16 [25] TLC Advanced Medical Productions
February 19, 2007Extraordinary People: The Twins Who Share a Body [26] Five (UK)One North
August 28, 2012 Abby & Brittany TLC

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conjoined twins</span> Medical condition

Conjoined twins, popularly referred to as Siamese twins, are twins joined in utero. It is a very rare phenomenon, estimated to occur in anywhere between one in 49,000 births to one in 189,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence in Southwest Asia and Africa. Approximately half are stillborn, and an additional one-third die within 24 hours. Most live births are female, with a ratio of 3:1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bethel University (Minnesota)</span> Private university in Minnesota

Bethel University is a private Christian university and seminary in Arden Hills, Minnesota, United States. It was founded in 1871 as a seminary and is affiliated with Converge. The university enrolls 5,600 students in undergraduate, graduate, and seminary programs. Its main campus is situated on about 290 acres on the east side of Lake Valentine just south of Interstate 694.

Maria and Daria Krivoshlyapova were Ischiopagus tripus conjoined twins from Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sirenomelia</span> Rare congenital deformity in which the legs are fused together

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Lori and George Schappell are conjoined twins. George has performed as a country singer. As of 2022, they are the oldest living conjoined twins in the world. Guinness World Records noted that George's gender transition made him and Lori the first set of conjoined twins to identify as different genders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brittany (name)</span> Name list

Brittany is a feminine given name of Celtic origin. The name comes from the historical country of Brittany, which is now a part of France. This name was first used in the United States in the early 1970s, and peaked in usage during the 1990s. Brittany ranked #934 on the US Popular Names in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ischiopagi</span> Conjoined twins fused at the pelvis

Ischiopagi comes from the Greek word ischio- meaning hip (ilium) and -pagus meaning fixed or united. It is the medical term used for conjoined twins who are united at the pelvis. The twins are classically joined with the vertebral axis at 180°. The conjoined twins usually have four arms; two, three or four legs; and typically one external genitalia and anus.

Clarence and Carl Aguirre are former conjoined twins born in Manila. They were conjoined at the top of the head and shared 8 centimetres (3.1 in) of brain. More than 1–2 centimetres (0.4–0.8 in) will affect brain functionality in one or both of twins. Without separation, they were expected to live around 6–8 months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polycephaly</span> Condition of having more than one head

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dicephalic parapagus twins</span> Rare form of partial twinning

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<i>Abby & Brittany</i> American TV series or program

Abby & Brittany is an American reality show on TLC starring 22-year-old conjoined twins Abby and Brittany Hensel that premiered on August 28, 2012. The show features their graduation from Bethel University in Minnesota, subsequent job search, their travels in Europe and their preparations to move to a new house and begin teaching jobs. It was broadcast on BBC Three in the UK in April and May 2013, as three 60-minute episodes.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Directory", Sunnyside Elementary. Retrieved March 21, 2024
  2. 1 2 "Conjoined twins 'Abby & Brittany' get their own reality show". Yahoo!TV. August 9, 2012. Archived from the original on August 9, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Abby Hensel, Brittany Hensel Reality Show: Conjoined Twins Star In TLC's 'Abby And Brittany'". Huffington Post . August 11, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 Abby and Brittany: Joined for Life, BBC, accessed May 21, 2013
  5. ↑ "New TLC Docu-series Centers on Bethel Alumnae". www.bethel.edu. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Abby & Brittany , Episode 3
  7. 1 2 "The Twins Who Share a Body". mymultiplesclerosis.co.uk. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 Fitch, Kimmy. "Hensel Twins Life Update: Inside the Adult Lives of Famous Conjoined Twins", Ask.com, March 18, 2022
  9. ↑ Wallis, Lucy. "Living a conjoined life", BBC News, April 24, 2013
  10. ↑ "Conjoined Twins With 2 Heads & 1 Body Get Reality Show on TLC". Heavy.com. August 9, 2012. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  11. 1 2 Wallis, Claudia (March 25, 1996). "The Most Intimate Bond". Time . Archived from the original on February 8, 2005. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  12. ↑ Harma, M.; Oksuzier, C. (February 2005). "Vaginal delivery of dicephalic parapagus conjoined twins: case report and literature review". Tohoku J. Exp. Med. 205 (2): 182. doi:10.1620/tjem.205.179. PMID   15673976.
  13. 1 2 Abby & Brittany, Episode 4
  14. 1 2 Hoffman, Kevin (February 28, 2008). "Minnesota's Abby and Brittany Hensel, conjoined twins, make Newsweek". citypages.com. Archived from the original on January 3, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  15. ↑ Schrobsdorff, Susanna (February 23, 2008). "Reality's Believe It or Not". Newsweek.com. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  16. ↑ Harker, Joe. "Conjoined twins opened up on what their life was like after becoming teachers", UNILAD.com, January 25, 2023
  17. ↑ Stivale, Shelby (April 2, 2024). "Who Is Conjoined Twin Abby Hensel's Husband Josh Bowling? Meet the Decorated Army Veteran". US Weekly. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Joined for life - co-joined six-year-old Hensel twins share many body parts: includes a related article on a set of sextuplets". Science World . October 4, 1996.
  19. ↑ "Joined For Life", Advanced Medical Productions, 2002, accessed November 11, 2012
  20. ↑ Joined at Birth, Advanced Medical Productions, 2003, accessed November 11, 2012
  21. ↑ "ABC TV Documentaries: Joined For Life". abc.net.au. March 27, 2003. Archived from the original on October 12, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  22. ↑ Piccolo, Cynthia M. (August 22, 2004). "Article: Shared Lives: From the types of joining to separation surgeries, the issues around [sic] conjoined twins are varied and complex". Medhunters.com. Archived from the original on August 25, 2004. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
  23. ↑ "Abby & Brittany Hensel". Extraordinary People (television series). UK: Channel 5. November 21, 2007.
  24. ↑ Hutchison, Rob. Joined for Life: Abby & Brittany turn 16, Advanced Medical Productions, 2006, accessed November 11, 2012
  25. ↑ Joined for Life: Abby and Brittany Turn 16 Archived July 12, 2007, at the Wayback Machine from Figure8Films.tv
  26. ↑ Extraordinary People: The Twins Who Share a Body from YouTube
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