Heather Delaney/SWNS
The twins shared a skull, skin and a vessel known as the “superior sagittal sinus,” which transports blood away from the brain.
In June 2017, the twins underwent the 11-hour separation procedure at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“Watching them graduate, it was like we were dreaming,” Heather said.
Heather and her husband Ryley Delaney, 30, were concerned when they learned that their twins were conjoined at the head early in the pregnancy, according to SWNS.
The parents also learned that their daughters, who were given a 2% chance of survival, could be candidates for a rare separation surgery after birth. It had been done before, but not at their local hospital.
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After their arrival, he twins — who weighed about 6 lbs. at birth— stayed at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Children’s Hospital until their surgery on June 6, 2017. All Heather and her husband could do during the time was “keep praying really hard.”
About 48 hours after the surgery, Heather said she “was finally able to take a breath.” Her daughters were discharged five months later.
The sisters attend special classes at their mainstream school, and their mother says both daughters are doing well.
Now, her daughters have accomplished a goal many weren’t sure they’d reach — graduating kindergarten.
“It has always been our goal in sharing our story to try and reach any other parents faced with the same type of pregnancy we were — to give them hope,” Heather said.
“We want to show there is the possibility they can be separated and then lead healthy and happy lives,” she added.
As for her girls, she added, “the sky is the limit for them.”
source: people.com
