Conjoined Twins Separated Successfully

Kendra Herrin and Maliyah Herrin, both four years, are unique siblings. These sisters shared a liver, kidney, bladders, had a single pelvis and two legs, each one controlled by one girl.

The twins were born joined at the mid-torso. It took six surgeons, headed by Dr Rebecka Meyers, chief pediatric surgeon at Primary Children's Medical Center and a 26 hour surgery (The surgery started on August 7, 2006 and finished on August 8, 2006) to separate their bodies and organs and reconstruct their pelvis.

Kendra kept the kidney, and Maliyah has been placed on dialysis. The latter is expected to get a kidney from her mother, Erin Herrin. The twins were removed from ventilators but are still being heavily medicated for pain. Doctors said the girls have opened their eyes but it is still not clear if they are aware of their surroundings.

The sisters are recuperating at the hospital and have shown signs of improvement. In fact, the doctors have called it "wonderful progress" and their condition is said to be stable. Doctors also reported no evidence of post-surgery infections.

Needless to say, parents Jake and Erin Herrin were overwhelmed by their reunion with Kendra and Maliyah. Their father, Jake Herrin, said Maliyah's ventilator was removed about 10 minutes before Kendra's "but we'll call it a tie. They are doing great," he said. "They have woken up but are still really drugged, so they really don't know what's going on."

Referring to their same pace of recovery, Herrin said "They are probably trying to have a little race between them.”

Till date, Kendra and Maliyah have always been together, as one would want siblings to be together. However, not for such reasons. The first hurdle ( first surgery ) has been successful. God willing, the two sisters would grow up as two separate girls each living a life of her own- and hopefully, would always be together.