CONJOINED TWINS WHO SHARE BODIES

Abigail Loraine Hensel dan Brittany Lee Hensel (born at 7 MAC, 1990)are twins parapagus dicephalic, meaning that they are conjoined twins, each of them has a separate head, but whose bodies merge. They are highly symmetric, giving the appearance of having just a single body with little variation from the normal rate. In fact, several vital organs are doubled; twins each have a separate heart, stomach, spine, and spinal cord.

Each twin controls half their body, operating one hand and one foot. This means that as infants, the initial learning of physical processes that require coordination of the body, such as clapping, crawling, and walking require the cooperation of both children. While each is able to eat and write separately and simultaneously, activities such as running and swimming must be coordinated and alternate symmetrically. Other activities as diverse as brushing hair and driving a car require that each twin perform a sequence of separate actions that coordinate with others.

Kembar Hensel telah berjaya untuk hidup peribadi dengan perhatian akhbar yang agak sedikit. Pada usia 16 tahun, mereka memberikan satu temu bual pada Channel Pembelajaran pada 17 Disember 2006, di mana mereka membincangkan aspek kehidupan seharian mereka dan rancangan untuk masa depan.