Tasha Coryell | 21
Tasha Coryell
Conjoined
The bab[ies] are born with an inappropriate amount of body parts.
Recorded: two heads, two arms, two legs, three lungs, two hearts, one uterus, one vagina.
Assumed previous conversation between the mother and father: “I just want them to be healthy. Ten fingers and ten toes.”
Assumed opinion of the superstitious: “There was not enough specification.”
The older theory is fission, the cell never splitting apart completely, together even in the womb.
The newer theory is fusion, the cell splitting completely, but then finding like-features, merging back together again.
One uncle, now estranged, leans over the unit in the ICU and thinks (undocumented):
"They should name one Circus and one Freak, so when they are called Circus Freak it won’t be alarming.”
Recorded past examples:
Mary and Eliza (allegedly): First documented case. Image recorded on cakes, later to be claimed as “just two poor women who weren’t conjoined at all.”
Chang and Eng, formerly of Siam: When asked what they were, they responded with, “We are Siamese.”