Hiyab and Wuhbto came into the world joined at the head, a condition called craniopagus that shows up in roughly one of every 2.5 million live births. This February, after a year of preparation and about six staged surgeries, a team at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis completed their final separation in a marathon procedure that ran 24 hours, from the morning of Feb. 24 into Feb. 25.
The surgery was led by Dr. Joanna Kemp, who became the first woman neurosurgeon in U.S. history to complete a craniopagus twin separation. It’s also just the 62nd such attempt ever documented worldwide, which tells you how rare and risky this territory is. Because the twins’ parents were unable to travel from Ethiopia due to visa issues, the World Pediatric Project and local caregivers provided round-the-clock care, becoming family for two little girls a world away from home.
The milestones keep coming. Wuhbto has recovered from a successful cranioplasty, and Hiyab is scheduled for skull reconstruction later this fall. In the meantime, both girls are in rehab and, for the first time in their lives, sleeping in separate beds. What’s the most remarkable medical story you’ve ever followed? Tell us in the comments.
