Abby and Brittany Hensel, the conjoined twins who rose to prominence on reality television decades ago, have finally revealed how their partially shared body works.
The twins, aged 34, were born with dicephalic parapagus, a condition in which two heads are attached to a single body, with each twin having her own brain, heart, and organs.
Their two brains and nervous systems work perfectly together. They can write, eat, run, and drive a car, both independently and in perfect harmony.
They stunned their 300,000 TikTok followers by sharing a video explanation that showed the structure of their conjoined bodies.
They have distinct upper body areas—two brains, two spinal cords, and two hearts—but are all part of the same overall system.
For example, their two hearts are connected by a shared circulatory system that includes the same veins and arteries, which means that if one heart fails, it may affect the blood flow and pressure in the other. If one heart fails, the other may need to compensate for changes in circulation, putting additional strain on it.
Each twin controls the arm and leg on her own side, with Abby controlling the right and Brittany controlling the left.
Despite this division, their movements are extremely coordinated thanks to the remarkable cooperation of their separate brains and nervous systems.
Each twin has two lungs, two esophagi, two stomachs, and a shared liver and small intestine.
The twins, who are now teachers in Minnesota, first gained national attention when they appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1996 at the age of six.
The Hensel twins are the most unusual conjoined twins, caused by a single fertilized egg failing to fully separate in the womb.
Only one set of twins in every 40,000 is born with some connection to each other, and only one percent survive beyond the first year.
They could play basketball and softball in school and got their driver’s licenses when they were 16. Abby controls the pedals, Brittany controls the blinkers, and they both steer.
They have two separate brains, but they are not completely isolated from one another.
Because of the shared spinal cord, their nervous systems can communicate, allowing their individual brains to exchange information and coordinate body movements.
The narrator in the video they posted stated: “For activities requiring both arms, such as holding objects, typing on a keyboard, or steering a car, they rely on constant cooperation and communication.”
‘They can perform these tasks smoothly because of the remarkable synchronization of their two brains and nervous systems.’
Because their two stomachs and esophagi function independently, each twin’s appetite is unique.
The food they eat passes through each twin’s esophagus and into each stomach, feeding nutrients to the large and small intestines.
They share a slightly elongated, larger-than-average liver to meet the needs of both bodies, which connect at the belly button.
The twins share a single set of reproductive organs but three kidneys—one on Abby’s side and two on Brittany’s. Despite having a shared urinary system, the kidneys can effectively filter waste products from the blood thanks to this adaptation.
The twins had a third arm removed when they were babies and have led otherwise normal lives.
In 2007, Abby stated, ‘We never wish we were separated because then we wouldn’t be able to do the things we do now, like play softball, run, and do sports.’
Abby married nurse and Army veteran Joshua Bowling in 2021, and both women aspire to be mothers.
Their mother stated in a documentary, ‘[It] is probably something that could work because those organs do work for them.’
Abby is now Joshua’s stepmother, but she has sparked pregnancy rumors of her own after sharing a video with a series of ‘breaking news’ headlines.
The final headline read: ‘Married with baby on the way.’
The twins haven’t confirmed their pregnancy, however.
