In the U.S., 1 in 250 births are twin births. And while many parents are over the moon to learn that they'll be welcoming two babies into the world at once, twin pregnancies can come with their risks. From carrying the twins to the painful moments in the delivery room, doctors and nurses hold their breaths, waiting for a successful birth. In the majority of cases, these deliveries go off without a hitch. In other cases, doctors are faced with hard decisions that impact the lives of the parents and the twins. That's exactly what happened when the doctors noticed something unusual about Joy and Roberto's twins, and they had to make a choice to either operate right there and then or wait until the twins were older to attempt dangerous surgery.
Bursting Their Bubble
Like many other expecting parents, Joy and Roberto were overjoyed to learn they were pregnant. They always knew that they wanted to be parents, and at 32 years old, the husband and wife team felt as though they were ready for the adventure that lay ahead. What's more, they soon discovered that they were having twins! They felt like the luckiest couple in the world, and couldn't believe that they had been blessed with two babies.
However, it wasn't long before their bubble burst. During a scan, the couple were told that only one of their twins was happy and healthy. The other? Well, it wasn't like a regular baby.
Trying to Take It Easy
As Joy and Roberto listened to what the doctor had to say, they were confused. Up until this point, the pregnancy had gone smoothly, and Joy hadn't had too many complications. But with this new development in the mix, Joy was told to be on high alert. She needed to take it easy and really take care of herself, as the doctors didn't know what would happen to the babies in the delivery room.
The doctors could see that one of the twins (whom Joy and Roberto called Emily) was much smaller than her twin, Amanda. But they just couldn't work out why, and they didn't get their answers until the babies were finally born.
Keeping an Eye on Her
With the health of Emily and Amanda in the lurch, doctors knew that Joy was a special case. They couldn't just let her go home and get on with her life as normal. She needed regular checkups and constant tests to check on the status of the twins. Her pregnancy was one that many of the doctors and nurses had never seen before, and they wanted to make sure that they were doing everything they could to protect mom and babies.
Of course, this just worried Joy and Roberto even more. They were told that Emily and Amanda would eventually need surgery, but the jury was still out on whether they should wait or act quickly.
A Lot to Think About
By this point, Joy was scared. All she had ever wanted was to welcome a baby into their lives, and she had once loved the idea of being pregnant. But now, she just didn't know what the future held. On the one hand, she wanted to make sure that her twins had the best and healthiest life that they could possibly have. But on the other hand, she was warned that one of her twins could have some serious birth defects.
Joy felt powerless. She just didn't know what to do, and she didn't know how to stay positive in such a strange and scary circumstance. So, she decided to follow the advice of the medical professionals.
Love and Support
Thankfully, there was a silver lining amongst the rainclouds. As news of Joy and Roberto's unusual pregnancy made the rounds among their friends and family, they all banded together to show the couple their love and support. They sent them cards and gifts, and they sent them loving words of support. But it was Joy's mother who was the most supportive of all. She told her daughter that her twins would be loved, no matter what.
Joy's mom also maintained that the couple were still being blessed with the children that they had always wanted. They just had to deal with a few complications and tests along the way.
Thinking About Her Babies
Joy certainly felt the love and the support of those around her, but there were still doubts and questions in her mind. Would her twins be ok? Why were they so different? Why had she been the unlucky one? Although she wanted nothing more than to welcome her twins into the world, she was also scared of their arrival. She knew that as soon as they made their appearance in the delivery room, their lives would hang in the balance.
This was especially true for Emily, who seemed to be struggling way more than Amanda. But before too long, the day finally came and it was time to deliver the babies.
Welcome to the World
On the day of the birth, Joy and Roberto were a mix of emotions. Of course, they were excited to finally meet their babies. But they were also worried, as their birth would either confirm or deny the suspicions that the doctors had about them. First up, Amanda was born - and at first glance, she seemed incredibly healthy. This meant that the doctors' suspicion about that twin was correct.
Then, Emily came along, and once again, the doctors were proven right. It was clear to see just from looking at her that something wasn't right. She didn't look like any other baby they had seen before.
Strange Features
When Joy and Roberto were finally able to look at their twins for the first time, they understood immediately why the doctors had been so concerned. Of course, their hearts swelled with love for the babies that they had created, but they also realized why the doctors had worried about her pregnancy so much. Amanda looked healthy enough, but Emily had strange and curious features that were unlike anything they had expected.
She was pale, she was incredibly small, and she looked like a fragile doll. They didn't want to touch her for fear of hurting her, and they just didn't know what this meant for her survival. Would she make it?
Life as a Mom
As she took another look at Emily and Amanda, Joy turned to the doctors with a look of determination on her face. Looking at her daughters, she suddenly felt overcome with confidence and strength. They had only been in the world for a few minutes, but she knew that she would do everything she could to keep them alive and to give them the best life possible. She was their mom, and that was her job.
But while she was determined to create a happy and healthy life for her daughters, she also had no idea what would happen next. Before too long, that reality hit her with a bang.
A Helping Husband
Joy wasn't the only one overcome with emotions, though. After watching his wife go through a stressful and dramatic pregnancy and then seeing his twins in the flesh, Roberto didn't know how to feel. Of course, he was over the moon to finally have children to call his own, but he knew his role as a father wouldn't be traditional. Not when his twins' lives were hanging in the balance.
Roberto knew that communication and honesty were the only ways to make their situation better. So, he sat down with his wife and talked about their concerns, their hopes, and their next steps.
Learning on the Job
Although Joy and the twins had to stay in hospital for further tests, that didn't stop Joy from embracing her new role as a mom. As a result of the strange and unusual circumstances, she couldn't be the mom she had dreamed of being, but she still learnt on the job and did everything she could to feed, change, and burp her beautiful twins to get into a semblance of a routine.
In those moments, it was just her and her babies, and she was so happy to finally have them in her arms. And in those moments, she forgot about the tough decisions on the horizon.
Support From Mom
During their stint in the hospital, Joy and Roberto also relied heavily on Joy's mom. The twins' grandmother was over the moon to finally see the twins in the flesh, and she was more than happy to lend a helping hand whenever necessary. Of course, Joy wanted her mom in the room at all times, and this meant that she was always there to help out when they needed it.
And while Joy was thankful for her mom's health, she couldn't help but think that her mom was trying to gloss over something. Was there something she wasn't telling her?
Finally Going Home
After countless tests and checks, Joy and Roberto received good news. They weren't out of the woods and the twins would need constant checkups at the hospital in the coming weeks, but they were finally allowed to go home. This meant that the couple could start their new lives as parents once and for all. And when they got home, they couldn't wait to introduce their twins to their other friends and family.
Joy and Roberto were excited for Amanda and Emily to meet their family, but they were also extremely nervous. They just didn't know how their friends and family would react to their twins... especially Emily.
Whispers Behind Their Backs
Of course, Joy and Roberto knew that their friends and family would be surprised. Amanda and Emily were unlike any twins or babies they themselves had ever seen before, and they knew that it would be the same for their friends and family. And while the couple had expected numerous questions about their twins, they hadn't expected the horrible whispers that took place behind their backs. Some were even scared to get close to the twins.
Joy was upset. She loved her children regardless, but she also knew that the surgery her twins required would stop those stares and whispers once and for all. But were they still too young?
A Father's Love
Roberto felt exactly the same as his wife. While he dreamed of being able to live a normal life with his twins, he knew that wasn't their reality. Their reality was that they had an extremely tough journey ahead of them and that they had to make some tough choices for the sake of his children and his family as a whole. However, this wasn't something he was going to take lightly.
He wanted to be the best father he could be to his children, so he vowed to make every day with them special. Yes, they were going to have tough times, but he wasn't going to let that squash his love.
Holding Out Hope
Roberto was also a big believer in positive thinking. He knew that their journey to normality would be rough and painful, but he didn't want to dwell on those things. He wanted to focus on the now and focus on being hopeful for a happy and healthy future for his children. So, he tried to treat each new day as an opportunity for excitement and happiness, and he tried to put a smile on his twins' faces.
At the back of his mind, though, he knew that the twins still needed surgery at some point. And what they didn't realize was that that time was coming very soon.
Weighing up the Options
As Emily and Amanda got older, their health concerns became even more noticeable. And while Joy and Roberto didn't want to think about their twins going under the knife, they knew that their lives wouldn't get any better if they didn't have this all-important surgery. Initially, their doctors advised them to wait until their twins were older before having the surgery, but Joy and Roberto just didn't know what to do.
Obviously, Joy could think of nothing worse than seeing her babies under sedation. But she also wanted to give them a good life, and she knew she couldn't give them that until they had this surgery.
Seeing the Differences
With each passing day, Joy and Roberto could see the differences between their twins - and not just on a physical level. While Amanda was still much bigger and stronger than her sister Emily, she also had a very different personality. Amanda was more lively and curious, while Emily was quieter and more content. And while this made their parents happy to see them growing up, it also made them extremely sad.
Despite being relatively happy on the inside, the parents knew that their twins were fighting a battle they would eventually lose. And the only way to help them win was to go under the knife.
A Parent's Worry
Ultimately, Joy and Roberto knew that surgery was the only way their twins would have the best chance of survival. But they were scared, and they didn't want to think about that. They wanted to imagine their children living their best lives and being happy and healthy for decades to come. They didn't want to think about their weak and struggling bodies being operated on under anaesthetic and the bright lights of the hospital.
Because of this, a part of them wanted to put off the surgery for as long as possible to avoid the risk of potentially losing them in the process. They just didn't want to lose them.
Enjoying Life's Little Moments
In the end, the couple decided to book the surgery for a few months down the line. They knew they needed some light at the end of the tunnel, and they knew that they couldn't put it off forever. But after putting the date in the diary, they made a vow to themselves to make every moment count in the weeks running up to the surgery. They wanted to make as many memories as possible with their girls.
They took photos of their twins, they went on day trips, and they tried to put smiles on their faces as much as they could. After all, they were a family.
Rethinking Their Decision
But as they were busy making memories, Joy and Roberto began to rethink their decision to send their daughters under the knife. The more time they spent with them, the more they learned about their daughters' quirks and their personalities. They both were so unique in their own way, but they could also see just how connected the twins were. They loved being by each other's side, and it was clear that their connection was strong.
Because of this, the parents didn't know if they wanted to put their twins through the difficult surgery. What if they didn't make it? What if there were complications? They just didn't know what to do.
Not Giving up
Joy and Roberto knew that they couldn't give up on their twins. They needed to give Amanda and Emily a fighting chance - for their own sake as well as the twins' sake. But there's no denying the fact that the decision was difficult. They went back and forth countless times in the run-up to the surgery and just didn't know what to do. The doctors were taken aback by their case, too.
At night, when the twins had gone to sleep, Joy spent most of her time crying. She just wanted someone to tell her what the right thing to do was.
Looking Back
During these sad evenings, Joy also spent a lot of her time thinking back to the early days of her pregnancy. After their wedding, Joy and Roberto knew that they both wanted to start a family and so they were overjoyed to see two lines on the pregnancy test. Their minds immediately raced to walks in the parks, lazy Sunday mornings in bed, and family trips to Disneyland. But their excitement was short-lived.
Before too long their whole world had collapsed in on itself, and they were faced with a life-or-death decision that would not only change the fate of their twins, but also the fate of their own lives.
The Odds Weren't in Their Favor
Ultimately, Joy and Roberto knew that the only way for their twins to survive would be for them to have surgery. But the odds weren't in their favor. As doctors weighed up their options and discussed the intricacies of their surgery, the parents were told that Emily might not survive the ordeal. She was still so much weaker than her sister and didn't seem to have a lot of fight in her.
The parents were also warned that, even if Emily did survive, the surgery might not work in the same way as it would for Amanda. So, did they still want to go ahead?
Raising Money
Of course, the parents had a big decision to make. And while they weren't 100% set on going ahead with the surgery, they also knew that they needed to be prepared if they did decide to go ahead. This meant trying to raise money for the procedure. It wouldn't be cheap, and the couple weren't in a strong financial place to pay for the whole thing out of pocket. So, they needed to ask for help.
Although the couple raised some money from a GoFundMe page, they didn't raise as much as they needed to go ahead with the procedure. This put even more pressure on their situation.
The Wait Was Almost Over
Thankfully, Joy and Roberto managed to scrape together the money for the surgery just in time for the big day. The doctors had advised them to wait until the twins were at least two years old to have the surgery to ensure that they were strong enough to pull through, but Joy and Roberto decided to go ahead with the surgery when their daughters were 22 months. So, they were almost there.
And as they looked at their babies before going into surgery, they once again questioned whether they were doing the right thing. But in a few hours, they got the answer to that question.
Conjoined Twins
Emily and Amanda desperately needed to have this surgery. That's because they were conjoined twins, and their only chance of surviving in the long run would be to separate them. And while they had two bodies, Emily was using Amanda's vital organs to survive, as she didn't have any of her own. This meant that Emily was so much weaker than her sister, but it also meant that she was causing stress to Amanda's body.
Although they both had their own singular kidneys, they were joined at the stomach and almost feeding off each other, and it just wasn't sustainable. So, something had to be done about it.
Trying for a Normal Life
When Joy and Roberto saw that their twins were conjoined, they were scared for their futures. They just didn't know how much of a life Emily or Amanda would be able to have when they shared their vital organs with each other. But the more they fell in love with their daughters, the more they realized that they were so much more than two bodies joined together. They were their whole hearts.
With this in mind, they wanted to make the right decision for their kids. And if they were to give either of them a fighting chance at survival, they needed the operation to be a success.
An Unexpected Journey
Of course, that didn't make things any easier for Joy and Roberto. While they waited for the surgery date, they had to deal with the fact that they weren't raising the twins they had expected. Bringing up conjoined twins was a whole different ballgame and something that took them out of their comfort zone. Everything they did had to be meticulously planned and doctor-approved, and they often struggled as a result.
But while they realized that their conjoined nature didn't define their twins, they also knew that a successful surgery would give them their own lives back. So, how did it go?
A 50/50 Chance
As the parents waited anxiously in the hospital waiting room, their minds were in overdrive. They once again questioned whether they had made the right decision, and they prayed that their twins would make it through the surgery and live a full and healthy life afterwards. But there's no denying the fact that their hopes weren't high. Doctors had told them that there was only a 50% chance of survival for both Amanda and Emily.
So, they twiddled their thumbs and just hoped that they would beat the odds and take home their twins at the end of this ordeal. After all, they had put their hopes into the best people.
The Perfect Team
Joy and Roberto didn't want to put their daughters' lives in the hands of people they didn't trust. So, when they realized that their twins would need to have surgery, they decided to go in search of some of the most experienced surgeons in the business. They found a surgical team with experience in separating conjoined twins, and this team also had a very high success rate. Because of this, they had faith.
But waiting was agony. All in all, the surgery took 16 hours, and neither Joy nor Roberto slept a wink during those 16 hours. They couldn't sleep while the fate of their babies was still unknown.
A Complicated Procedure
While the parents had faith in their surgical team, they also knew that the surgery wasn't going to be easy. Separating conjoined twins is a hugely complicated procedure that requires precision and patience - especially in the case of Emily and Amanda, where they shared their vital organs. The surgeons not only had to separate them, but they also had to make sure that the girls had their own organs that would function independently.
The thought of that happening behind the hospital doors made Joy and Roberto sick with worry, and they just wanted to hear some news. Had their babies survived? Were they going to be ok?
Finally, Some News
Those 16 hours seemed more like 16 days, but eventually, Joy and Roberto saw the doctors making their way out of the operating room and over to where they were sitting. They tried to gauge from his face the outcome of the surgery, but he just looked incredibly tired and exhausted from the tough surgery. So, they had to wait until he reached their seats to hear what he had to say.
Joy immediately jumped out of her chair and bombarded the surgeon with questions. "Are my babies ok? Are they still alive? Will they be ok?" She also searched his face for answers.
The Babies Were Weak
As the doctor looked at the parents, Joy and Roberto thought they saw a glimmer of happiness and relief on the doctor's face. Their hearts soared, and they assumed that both of their babies were fit and healthy after the operation. However, the surgeon had some bad news. He informed them that the babies were extremely weak after the traumatic ordeal, but that Emily was struggling much more than her sister.
As he said this, Joy and Roberto could see the doctor's eyes starting to mist. He looked like he was able to break down in tears, but what did that mean? Was it good news or bad news?
Good News and Bad News
The doctor ultimately told them that there was good news and that there was bad news. The good news was that the surgery had been successful in separating the twins. They were no longer conjoined, and they both had their own organs that would work independently and on their own. Of course, Joy and Roberto were over the moon. The surgery was a success! But their happiness was short-lived.
As Joy looked at the doctor and waited for him to share the bad news, she knew it was going to be very bad. The look on his face said it all.
Did Everything They Could
The doctor looked the couple straight in the eyes and said sincerely, "I'm sorry, we did everything they could." At that moment, the couple knew exactly what had happened. The doctor didn't need to say anything else because they knew that either one or both of their twins had passed away. They couldn't believe it, and their bodies were overcome with sadness and intense sorrow. How could this have happened?
However, their ears perked up again when the doctor confirmed that Amanda had indeed survived. But sadly, Emily had not been able to fight her battle with the same gusto.
Heartbroken Parents
Amazingly, Emily had been able to survive the separation surgery. And for a few moments, she was her own person with her own body and even her own organs. But as she was already so weak and frail before the surgery, her body just couldn't pull through, and she passed away just a few minutes later. As you can imagine, both Joy and Roberto were distraught. Their daughter had died.
Of course, they appreciated everything the doctor had done, and they knew that he would have tried his absolute best to save her. But sadly, it just wasn't meant to be that way.
Preserving Her Memory
Although Joy and Roberto were saddened by the loss of Emily, they knew that they had to go on for the sake of her twin, Amanda. She deserved parents who put time and effort into her life and did everything they could to make her happy. So, they decided to say goodbye to Emily with a funeral. They wanted to honor her short life and preserve her memory, and they felt this was the best way to do that.
Friends and family from across the country came to the funeral to pay their respects to Emily, and Joy and Roberto tried to fight between feelings of sadness and pride.
Trying to Go on
Over the next few months, Joy and Roberto found themselves torn. On the one hand, they wanted to grieve for the daughter they had lost. On the other hand, they wanted to celebrate the daughter who had survived. In the end, they decided to go on for the sake of Amanda and do everything they could to make her life as full and as fun as they possibly could.
It was also a relief for the parents to learn that there would be no long-lasting effects of the surgery on Amanda. After numerous checks with the doctor, she was signed off as a healthy and happy little girl.
Telling Her Story
As Amanda gets older, she'll no doubt start to ask about the scar on the side of her body and her sister. And both Joy and Roberto have made the decision to tell her everything. They're going to tell Emily's story and share her legacy with her twin, and hopefully maintain that connection that the girls once had with each other. To them, this is one of the most important things going forward.
And while their lives will never fully recover from the loss of Emily, there's no doubt about the fact that the family can now move on with one of the babies that they always wanted.