Erin and Abby Delaney: United by Love, Separated by Surgery

On July 24, 2016, two precious souls named Erin and Abby Delaney came into this world, weighing a mere 2 pounds and 1 ounce each. However, there was an extraordinary challenge they faced from the very beginning. When Heather Delaney was 11 weeks pregnant, doctors discovered that the twins' heads were fused together, presenting a unique situation. Heather and Riley Delaney, the brave parents, turned to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in pursuit of a separation surgery that would give their children the chance to live independent lives.

Head-to-head conjoining is an extremely rare occurrence, happening approximately six times every 10 million births, as stated by HOP. Furthermore, the Delaney twins were fully fused, with a connection that extended deeply into their brain tissue. The doctors were significantly concerned due to the fact that they shared a superior sagittal sinus, a major vessel that carries blood from the brain to the heart.

Erin and Abby underwent an extensive duration of physical, occupational, and speech therapy during their hospital stay for many months. Erin completed her treatment and was discharged from the hospital after 435 days. Following that, Erin and her parents resided at the Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia until Abby was also released, which occurred one month later. The family then returned to North Carolina just before the Thanksgiving holiday in 2017.

Delaney expressed, "Both of them are remarkably content and joyful little girls. It astonishes us to witness their impressive progress and well-being."

Dr. Gregory Heuer and Dr. Jesse Taylor, who currently serves as the chairman of the division of plastic and reconstructive surgery at HOP, jointly led the surgical procedures for Erin and Abby.

During an interview, Dr. Taylor mentioned to "GM" that this was his inaugural experience with a craniopagus twin operation.

Dr. Taylor expressed, "The approach we took for their separation had never been attempted before, and in numerous aspects, it was highly innovative."

Dr. Taylor further remarked that the twins have surpassed our expectations and are progressing remarkably well. Although they are technically around six months behind the anticipated development timeline, their overall progress is excellent.

According to Delaney, Erin has started crawling, while Abby is rolling and sitting up. Like typical toddlers, both of them exhibit lively personalities and are actively exploring their surroundings.

"Erin has a fondness for grabbing remote controls from the coffee table," Delaney shared. "Since they are just beginning to interact, it's amusing to witness Abby giving this expression to Erin, as if to say, 'Don't take my toy.' She's a spirited and lively young lady, Abby."

Delaney expressed that her family's purpose is to motivate parents of children with medical challenges. "Our daughters serve as evidence that the impossible can be achieved," she further added. "We affectionately call them our miracle babies."