Having a sister can be hard enough as it is. Now imagine you had to share everything with your sister…including your body. That’s what life is like every day for Minnesota sisters, Abby and Brittany Hensel. But despite being born conjoined, the sisters have become their people and proven that life is better together. Read on to learn about their incredible journey.
Born In 1990
The twins were born In rural Minnesota in 1990. Conjoined twins form in the very early weeks of pregnancy, sometimes even before the mother knows she’s pregnant. The Hansel twins are conjoined because a fertilized egg failed to separate inside their mother’s womb.
The twins may look like they share a complete body but in fact, they each have their hearts, lungs, spines, stomachs, esophagus, gallbladder, and kidneys. They do share a reproductive system, liver, rib cage, intestines, and circulatory system. From the waist down, all of their organs are shared. They were also born with a third arm but that was removed at birth.