If you’re a regular viewer of TLC, you’ve no doubt at least seen the previews for one of their new fall TV shows, “Abby and Brittany.” While it is a regular reality show about two young women, the young women at the center of the show are anything but typical. The stars are Abby and Brittany Hensel, 22-year-old conjoined twins who share one body and one life. That they’ve beaten tremendous odds to survive into adulthood is amazing, but the fact that they’ve done it with such normalcy is practically beyond comprehension.
The Past
When born in 1990, the twins were given a slim chance of survival. Their parents were told they may not survive their first night. To be sure, their physical appearance is like nothing most people have ever seen. While they do have separate heads, necks, hearts, lungs, and stomachs, everything else is shared-from limbs to circulatory system to reproductive organs. They have had to learn to operate in unison to complete even the most mundane tasks, such as dressing, riding a bike or making a sandwich. Abby controls the right side of their body, and Brittany controls the left. Yet, as is made very clear in their new TV series, the girls have not let their extreme challenges slow them down. They, and their parents, have made every effort to lead normal lives, complete with schooling, friends and activities. The girls even have driver’s licenses-licenses that were awarded to them individually, but only after taking the test twice.
The Present
Now 22, the twins recently graduated from Bethel College in Minnesota, where they lived away from home with a group of supportive and close girlfriends. They earned individual degrees in the same major, elementary education. Most assignments were completed as a team and the girls, of course, took all the same classes. Having watched all the aired episodes of “Abby and Brittany,” it’s clear that these young ladies have indomitable inner spirits. They attend parties, student teach, go for road trips (where they drive), and even try riding a Segway (I don’t know if I could pull that off). They are bubbly, loud, distractible, exuberant and funny. In my opinion, although it’s truly miraculous that they’ve survived until adulthood, it’s even more incredible that they’ve done it without going insane. Notwithstanding the constant public attention, it’s hard to imagine living every second of your life with someone else, to never have a moment’s privacy, even while asleep. But Abby and Brittany at least seem oblivious to this burden and have carried it without anger or self-pity.
The Future
In their TV show, the twins state that they hope to teach elementary school, combining their talents while sharing one job. In a previous televised special they stated that they would like to have families of their own one day, without going into the specifics of how that would be feasible. It goes without saying that any sort of traditional intimate relationship would be impossible, even if physical reproduction is. The thought of their marrying or having children brings up far more moral, physical, and existential questions than it does answers. But you have to admire these young ladies’ desire for a “normal” life under clearly abnormal circumstances. There’s no telling what their life expectancy will be, as each day their longevity exceeds what doctors initially thought possible. But despite that sobering thought, Abby and Brittany have chosen to make the absolute most out of their days and live them to their fullest.
Sources:
http://tlc.discovery.com/
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/conjoined-twins-abby-brittany-hensel-astound-doctors-normalcy/story?id=17021596#.UE-sT1FTje4
