32 | Psychopomp Magazine
why. They had the perfect amount of organs for their body. Anymore or any less and they could’ve died. That was one thing they were really good about, reaching out to families who had lost conjoined twins, because most conjoined twins do die, either they are stillborn or cannot survive for very long outside of the womb. When one of their brains had a stroke though, the other side couldn’t take it. She held on for as long as she could; it was actually a period of several weeks, dragging her dead sister around. She kept saying that she felt lonely and that it smelled. She had never been alone before, and we got her several psychiatrists to evaluate her state and put her on anti-depressants, but it didn’t seem to do anything, and eventually the body just shut down. Imagine not being able to function without another person like that. There is complete dependence, both physically and mentally.
Recorded examples of separation:
Angelica and Angelina: They were connected at the chest and abdomen. Hearts beating against the same walls. Doctor: “The only physical reminder of their ordeal will be a long scar from the chest to the belly button."
Hassan and Hussein: Their hands were not connected, but they held each other anyway. The caption on the picture: they are still conjoined, even though they have been cut apart.
Maria Paz and Maria Jose: Maria Jose died three days after the surgery because Maria Paz took all of the organs.
Rital and Ritag: Ritag was pumping all the blood for Rital, and she was too young to say that it was out of love as her heart started failing and they cut them apart.
Clarence and Carl: They were separated one day at a time, balloons expanding their skin. They wear helmets, in the absence of each other.