When Heather and Riley Delaney discovered they were expecting just three months after their wedding, they were filled with joy. However, during their first ultrasound, it became evident that this pregnancy would be far from ordinary.
Heather remembered, “As soon as the image appeared on the screen, it was clear it was twins.” But as the doctor examined the ultrasound, the situation took an unexpected turn. The babies seemed to be closely connected, and the doctor couldn’t find a membrane separating them.
Eventually, he revealed that the twins were conjoined at the head, an exceedingly rare condition with odds of about 1 in 2.5 million. Subsequent scans confirmed they had craniopagus, the least common type of conjoined twins.
Despite the slim chances of survival and the intricacies involved, Heather gave birth to twins Abby and Erin at 30 weeks via an emergency cesarean section. The twins shared crucial blood vessels and a protective membrane around their brains, rendering the separation surgery an exceedingly challenging undertaking.
Dr. Jesse Taylor, a plastic surgeon, spearheaded a team of over 30 specialists in a multidisciplinary endeavor to separate the twins. The operation demanded meticulous planning and preparation, with equipment and monitors color-coded with green or purple tape, each color assigned to one of the girls.
During the surgery, the team initially separated the shared blood vessels and the dura, a protective membrane surrounding both brains. They then confronted the most challenging part, the sagittal sinus, before dividing into two teams to complete the reconstruction.
The risky separation surgery occurred when the twins were 10 months old. Heather shared on her TikTok account, “The surgery went well, but Abby especially had some issues. She actually lost 10 to 15 times her blood volume, and the anesthesiologist said they had never seen that before in someone undergoing surgery.” Astonishingly, Abby and Erin spent 485 days in the hospital and are among the youngest twins conjoined at the head to be successfully separated.
Now at the age of five, Heather fondly refers to her girls as having “special superpowers.” She shares their remarkable journey on TikTok, offering a glimpse into life with children who have special needs.
Both Abby and Erin primarily rely on feeding tubes for nourishment and are non-verbal, in part due to the damage caused by surgery-related brain bleeds. Nonetheless, they possess a deep understanding and are capable of accomplishing numerous tasks, even though they encounter challenges in communication.
Heather lovingly describes Abby and Erin as their “little miracles” and expresses profound gratitude for witnessing their growth, considering they were given just a 1% chance of survival. She acknowledges that their journey has been arduous and filled with challenges, but she couldn’t be more thankful that their precious girls are here with them today.