WOW! Bizarre and intriguing . . .

here's another link with a bunch of pictures...

www.stinkzone.com

i think that they are a work of art and that no one should critisize the way they look because most people couln't deal with what they do.

It is very interesting to know that they are still alive. I heard about them when they were first born and had no idea whether or not they survived. They have grown up to be quite pretty, I must say. Not to be fececious or anything, but I wonder what it would be like to employ them?

Will they marry? Two men in their lives? Those two men will have to accomidate each other. One home or two? Taxes? Births? What huge implications and circumstance. How old are they now? Does anyone know?

They are now 14 years old.
I have collected some informations about abby and britty, and show them on my homepage

home.t-online.de

in german language.

I ran into them recently in Grand Marais, MN. It was the most amazing. They bounced out of their van with several other kids, laughing, bouncing, talking, and just having a ball. They were obviously accepted as gone of the group. They must have outstanding parents. I feel honored to have witnessed their lives.

I love it that in their LIFE magazine interview, one said, "I don't have two heads." I get the impression from the various sites, articles, etc. about them that they're a lot more at ease with their condition, and with other people's reactions, than the bulk of "normal" people who meet them. I hope they don't follow the normal conjoined twin pattern and die young.

Sexual feelings will be very difficult to deal with, if they eventually have any. I have no idea how they will handle such a situation unless they can obtain 2 mates (or one??) that can live with 2 personalities with one body.

This case is a sad example that confronts those religionists who promote "intelligent design" of the alleged creator god.

With regard to the previous post and the religionist rhetoric you inserted, i.e. that these 2 happy, healthy girls are a 'sad example of the alleged creator god's intelligent design' , how insulting and narrow-minded. Their unique 'design', as you say, doesn't seem to faze or limit them either physically or mentally, they are amazing and talented. Ask their parents if they consider Abby and Brittany to be a gift from God. But that probably wouldn't matter to you, seeing as how the parents actually believe in a creator God, so they must be somewhat loony anyway, huh? As for the comment about sexual feelings and whether they will 'eventually have any', yes, they are real people, with real feelings, including sexual feelings. Adolescence is a rather difficult age for most people to go through, not just these two girls. Judging from the extraordinary love, support and acceptance they have received, and continue to receive, from their parents and their community, I have no doubt in my mind that they will continue to thrive as they transition from adolescents to adults.

THIS COMMENT WAS EDITED BY SEBASTIEN ON 9.20.2004

These comments relate to all twins conjoined in a similar way to Abigail and Brittany Hensel and who face the same life issues. The comments below should not be thought of as being specifically about the Hensel Twins - they are just one example of several sets of similarly conjoined twins.

Of course there is hope for such conjoined twins getting married! True love would be able to overcome the obstacles in such a relationship. If someone truly loved a conjoined twin who they were in a relationship with, then they would be able to accept everything that would be associated with that relationship.

A person who truly loved a conjoined twin would not think of themselves but instead of both the conjoined twin who they loved and that person's sibling, whom they should also care for as a close friend (but not a partner).In true love and understanding, a person married to such a conjoined twin would be able to accept the fact that for the sake of the other twin who they were not married to, they would have to share their partner's body with another man/woman. But it would take someone selfless enough to be able to commit to that in practice. Genuine, true love and understanding however would enable those people who the twins were married to allow the sharing of their partner's body for the sake of their sibling.

As for the polygamy issue, such cases are extremely rare and unique. It could be argued that because such twins share a single set of reproductive organs and therefore would be the joint parents of any offspring, that they should really just marry one person and in the past that is probably what would have happened. Both men/women married to a set of conjoined twins would have to be extremely tolerant and understanding of each other, they would also have to trust each other to not abuse their relationship with the twin who they were not married to. The biggest potential for problems would therefore be between the two people who would be married to the twins. It would probably be best that they were either siblings/cousins or very close and long-term friends - I think two strangers would find it very difficult to live with each other, let alone physically share their partners with each other.

It has to be remembered though that conjoined twins are always two individual people, each person who is a conjoined twin is no different from any other human being and therefore they have every right to each have their own spouse. Inevitably in the case of twins sharing a lower body, it would be physically polygamous whether the twins married one person or two, but the difference here is that the conjoined twins were born this way, they are naturally together sharing one body and therefore it is not morally wrong, but natural in this instance. However I believe that marriage is not only physical but spiritual or the meeting of two minds and spiritually/mentally it would still be just one man/woman joined with their partner in mind/spirit alone and no other, the same as in any other marriage. In that sense unless a person married to such a conjoined twin tried to abuse the relationship by trying to include their partner's sibling in physical relations more than is unavoidable, it would not be polygamy.

Talking hypothetically now:

I'm not hoping to end up married to a conjoined twin, nor will I ever find myself in such a situation where I had the choice. Nor do I have any special attraction to such people over 'normal' looking people who are not conjoined. - The fact that someone was conjoined to another person would never a reason why I would want to have a relationship with them. But hypothetically if I was already best friends with a conjoined twin of the opposite sex then as long as that girl had the right personality for me, I'm sure that I myself could love such a person just like any other, because as a human being and a person, I would not see them as being any different in any way to any physically normal human girl. A human being is an individual, unique and special person no matter how they look or whether they are conjoined or not. The only way that conjoined twins are different is through their life experience - a lifetime of mutual cooperation, selflessness, tolerance and love for each other, and this would no doubt have trained them to be amongst the best spouses any man or woman could hope for. I don't think therefore for me that the simple fact that someone was conjoined would be the problem. - Though in such a situation you would really have to get on with the person's sibling because as with any conjoined twins, it would be just like being married to two people except that you wouldn't actually be responsible for loving both of them.

I don't think the sharing with another man issue would be a major issue in itself for me either as long as the other guy was actually married to the other twin. Indeed I would know that I would have to accept that or not have a relationship with a conjoined twin in the first place. - I would know that it would be purely for the sake of the twin's sister, that it wouldn't be due to unfaithfulness on the part of the twin who I was married to and that my wife would not be one spiritually/mentally with the other man, in her heart. Sharing a partner is no different for the woman than it is for the man - in many countries, women still have to share their husbands body with other women and have had to do so throughout history - maybe it is because men would feel that it would comprise their position and status as a man that they couldn't consider sharing their wife's body in this circumstance? But it shouldn't compromise their position in their wife's eyes.

What I would be worried about in this situation however is whether I would be able to get on with the husband of my wife's sister. I think that would be the real big issue here - I would have no way of knowing that beforehand. The potential for conflict between two men in such a situation is huge. I would also be worried, if having married one of the twins first, if due to the man sharing with another man issue, the other twin could not find her own husband. It would be extremely hard on the other twin and I would feel very guilty about having to be one with her physically when she did not have her own husband and her own soul mate. It could easily and very quickly get to the point where the other twin was unable to cope. Under those circumstances, if one of the twins is married and the other cannot find a partner because of that, it might well be best for such twins if they both married the one person - As they share their body and would be joint parents of any children, I don't think that it would be morally wrong for them to do so (-in normal circumstances when physical relations with two sisters/brothers is avoidable, of course it would be wrong), but the conjoined twins would both have to love the person who they were both married to with all of their hearts and the person married to two conjoined twins would have to love them both with all of his/her heart. It can be done, there is a living example of this in India and the man and his two wives all love each other very deeply and are not jealous or envious of each other- something which is almost unknown in normal polygamous relationships. - I don't think it's impossible to love two people if you had to share so completely in everything with them, but whether it is possible even in this situation to love two people in equal measure and with all of one's heart is a different matter. But that would have to be a decision the twins would have to make purely to avoid one of them losing out and it is their decision alone.

Therefore perhaps dispensations to the law should be allowed in these rare circumstances? It would be better to be honest for such conjoined twins - male or female, to be allowed to share one spouse if they so wished rather than one having a happy relationship and the other being excluded from it but still inevitably having to be a part of it and in such an intimate way too. - Just imagine if you were in a conjoined twin and in that situation yourself- your sibling was happily married, but you couldn't find your own partner because of that. - After some time of failing to find a partner for yourself, wouldn't you rather just consent to sharing the same spouse as your sibling under those circumstances and being loved by them too? The usual rules just don't apply in such a situation. We shouldn't enforce or impose rules on conjoined twins if it would prevent them from having a happy and as normal as possible married and family life.

Ideally though for their sakes it would be best for such conjoined twins to each have their own husbands/wives. If they were physically separate then they would each have their own spouse and therefore despite being together I think it is no different. Why should being together deny them from having a completely normal life in every respect as any other person would have ?After all conjoined twins are mentally the same as all other people, only that their only life experience is one of being conjoined.As for offspring- you can do genetic testing to determine who the mother/father was and therefore who should be registered as the mother/father.

But no matter what - if a set of conjoined twins only married one person (-which I don't think would ever be legal in a westernised society anyway) then even if the person that they were married to could love them both equally, which I think is unlikely, especially given how different the personalities of conjoined twins often are, his/her love would be divided between two people. Marriage is about loving one person with all your heart and giving that person your undivided attention (i.e that person is first in your life) and that would be impossible if a man/woman was married to both of them. Personally given the choice, I would rather not be married to two individual people, together or not!!- It just wouldn't feel nor seem right, it would also make things emotionally too complicated.

But there is hope for such conjoined twins, there is certainly no need to pity them. Potentially such twins could each have as normal and happy a marriage as any other people. I think though in the case of all female conjoined twins sharing a lower body, they would need to be extremely careful and make sure that they both find and marry the right men. A lot of people actually dream of having a polygamous relationship with such twins and might consider deceiving them that they love one of them and fulfilling a fantasy with them only to go away and leave them. - I hope such twins abstain until marriage for their sakes to prevent any such thing happening. My fear though is that they could end up for instance like the Hilton twins with failed marriages and on their own again for the rest of their lives. If they are very careful though, they can avoid this. It's probably best for their sakes that they only allow the possibility of a relationship with those who they have already known and trusted as good friends for many years.

Finally as for Abigail and Brittany they have plenty of friends so I don't think it would actually be a problem for a couple of guys who had been good friends with them and known them for a long time and got on well and understood each other too - I think they'll be o.k. In any case I cannot believe that in the tens of millions of guys in the world who would be of a suitable age for them, that there isn't two guys who couldn't love these people enough to accept them completely for who they are and love and adore them enough as people to get over the obvious difficulties that such a relationship would entail. Most people would say that individually the Hensel Twins are good looking - they aren't going to be any less good looking as adults, they are highly intelligent and very talented - and as their dad said in the Life Magazine, they have everything going for them. It would be a terrible waste therefore if they couldn't each have happy and content married lives simply because they are together. But I think the real issue for the Hensel Twins and other female conjoined twins like them will not actually be finding partners, but instead finding a couple of guys who truly love one of them each despite the fact that they are together rather than those who merely desire them because they are together.

As for the comment about God, how do you know God won't one day do something wonderful and amazing through them?
And they are happy and content, there are millions of child in the world who genuinely have something to be sorry about, so what does it matter?

Just some more thoughts on the above really.
Having thought about it more, I don't think it would be morally right for the twins to ever marry one man. Plus they don't want to and never have wanted to, their parents wouldn't want them to and neither would their church want them to.
If they were physically separate then they would each have their own husband and therefore despite being together I think it is no different.

Why should being together deny them from having a completely normal life in every respect as any other woman would have ?
As for offspring- you can do genetic testing to determine who the father was and therefore who should be registered as the mother.
But no matter what -if hypothetically they only married one man (-which I don't think would ever be legal anyway) then even if he could love them both equally, which I think is unlikely, especially given how different their personalities are, his love would be divided between two people. Marriage is about loving one person with all your heart and giving that person your undivided attention (i.e that person is first in your life) and that would be impossible if a guy was married to both of them. Plus why should any man have two wives?!! -I wouldn't want to be married to two individual people, together or not!!- it just wouldn't feel or be right.
They have a Christian faith so if they trust in God I'm sure and I believe that God would give them each a husband. Plus they have plenty of friends so I don't think it would actually be a problem for a couple of guys who been good friends with them and known them for a long time and got on well and understood each other too - I think they'll be o.k.

what's gonna happen if one dies first?

The other twin will die, too.

The interior lives of conjoined twins are a complete mystery to most people, so I find it amazing that people like Sebastien blather endlessly about something they obviously know nothing about. If one reads the literature, it is clear the lives of conjoined twins are often tragic -- gift from an unproven supernatural entity or not . Just last year, Laleh and Ladan Bijani chose to try to be separated even though they knew they were risking their lives. The craniopagus conjoined twins died during the operation. They were so miserable conjoined, with no privacy or independent action, that death was preferable to them.

The magazine article was written when the Hensels were small children. We don't know how they will feel as adults. I believe their opinions are the ones that will matter.

The trouble will the overly religious is that they impose so much on others. Here is Sebastian telling the Hensels how to live their lives -- lives he cannot even fathom. How presumptuous and arrogant. That is for them to decide, not him.

I wasn't being deliberately/intentionally arrogant and telling the girls how to live their lives at all.
To be honest in hindsight, I've realised since I posted those comments that I've made a mistake. Why people including myself have fallen for the temptation to discuss this issue I don't know.
I think we have all forgotten just what an extremely personal and private issue this is for the girls. It will be critically important to them one day, but it is still extremely personal and private to them- And why on earth are we discussing people who are still minors?!!!!!!!
What makes this worse is that anyone from the Hensel family including Abigail and Brittany could easily see this theirselves.
If you are Abigail or Brittany, or someone who knows the twins please forgive me for being such an idiot and discussing this at all -Because now I really wish I hadn't and I would delete my comments if I had the facility to do that. I realised as soon as I posted that that I had made a mistake and have probably in fact caused offence.
But what I do hope and wish is that both girls will one day have normal happy married lives. -And regardless of how private an issue it is, why shouldn't they?

I will freely admit though I feel slightly sickened in hindsight by the fact that I wrote like that about such an extremely personal, private issue about two real living people, on a public forum.

Just one last thing I want add too to this. I wasn't being a pervert either, I was just raising and exploring serious real life issues that a guy who fell in love with a twin conjoined in the same or in a similar way to the Hensel twins would face. I'm also only a few years older than the twins too- I'm not being a pervert. However this does not detract from what I said in my previous 2 posts that writing about Abigail and Brittany Hensel in this way was wrong.

ok, but what do you think it would be like. i mean, if one of them, say, has a heart attack, how would the other react? what if one starts to get some neurological disorder, like multi personality disorder or brain damage and the other doesn't? what if one went blind? what if one got alzheimer's and forgot shit all the time (like they were conjoined)?
is this some sort of advanced speices? are we living in a world where "two heads are better than one"?

Peace on earth.

Well I think those comments are even more insensitive than mine were and are in fact unkind.
Can't anyone see that they are just two normal individual human being's?!!
Think of any other set of twins and imagine that they are conjoined like Abigail and Brittany- that's the ONLY difference.

Well, youre a fuckin idiot. I'm just asking scientific and biological questions that any doctor or scientist would ask when confronting a case like them. I don't expect a romance novel writing 14 year old like yourself to fully grasp the concepts that i am questioning (on a side note, our cat just whooped ass on another cat in the back ally). Until we start seeing two people conjoined at the waist everywhere we look, i think it is safe to say that these two are infact NOT NORMAL. So ask yourself, Sebastien, what do you think would happen if one half would suddenly develope some sort of disabling neuroligical disorder and the other remained fine?

Well think- what would you do if you were in that situation?!!
That's the answer to your question.
Most people would never ever want to consider or think about such a thing happening to the girls. It is the last thing I would want to happen to them and I really do sincerely hope that they each have long and happy lives without illness.
And as for my 'romance novel' I was talking about something that also affected Masha and Dasha and many other conjoined twins who have lived.
And no I don't have any interests in anyone under the age of 18 and I was just putting myself hypothetically in the same situation as any guy who would be married to/in a relationship with a conjoined twin - and anyone can do that -it's not exactly difficult.

what a fuckin dumbass. can anyone else help delve into this a little more with me? I'm only askin this to those who would "want to consider or think about such a thing".

well yeah, there are lots of difficult things that could happen... And i can only guess, but it's likely the twins are cognitively capable enough to have asked themselves similar questions. I mean, i know i'd be asking myself that kind of thing. Of course no one WANTS that to happen, but if it did, there'd need to be some serious therapy for the twin without the hypothetical neurological disorder. I get the feeling if one goes down they'd both go down though (WOW that was a really bad way to put it but bear with me here) - they must love each other very much indeed, and it'd be devastating if one became mentally unhealthy. I'm guessing heavy depression. Hmm... that is a scary thought, actually...

Yeah, i hope they dont grow up to be alcoholics. although, I bet it would be crazy to party with them! They should move to Hollywood. I would love to see them on the silver screen. I guess one can only wish for more conjoined twins in the world.... and midgets....

Hi, I somtimes search news of Abigal and Brittany Hensel, and followed the postings here. I am member in the group:
groups.yahoo.com
and would be pleased about good news from the girls (perhaps from Hollywood).
;-)

Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder is NOT a neurological disorder. And besides which, someone who says "I bet it would be crazy to party with them!" shouldn't be calling other people dumbasses. Though I do suppose it gets the point across that it takes one to know one...

Sebastien, I didn't find your thoughts out of line or inappropriate. What I DID find inappropriate is Josh's obvious lack of education, tact, and common sense. "I bet it would be crazy to party with them" he says. God help us if he reproduces!

I still wish I hadn't written about Abby and Britty like that now. It's the fact that the girls and their family could easily read it- this comments board went to Number 2 on Google!!
I should have talked generally about conjoined twins.

Still I guess it's a real life issue for them and anyone who would be in a relationship with one of them when they are adults. Abby and Britty are not the only twins conjoined in that way though, there are two sets of living twins like them - Mexican twin girls in North America and a set of twin boys in India and to some extent ALL living conjoined twins and their partners would have to face this issue. It made me think though what if one twin who was conjoined like the Hensel's - AND other conjoined twins like them, had a happy marriage and the other twin couldn't find a spouse purely because of that. - i.e. because one of the twins was already married, no other guy wanted to get involved? And I thought well perhaps dispensations to the law should be allowed in these rare circumstances? It would be better to be honest for such conjoined twins - male or female, to be allowed to share one spouse if they so wished rather than one having a happy relationship and the other being excluded from it but still inevitably having to be a part of it and in such an intimate way too. - Just imagine if you were in a conjoined twin and in that situation yourself- your sibling was happily married, but you couldn't find your own partner because of that. - After some time of failing to find a partner for yourself, wouldn't you rather just consent to sharing the same spouse as your sibling under those circumstances and being loved by them too?
- It might be possible to for someone to end up truly loving two people if they had to share their whole married life with them both anyway.

The usual rules just don't apply in such a situation- I'm very much against polygamy as a rule -it seldoms works and causes jealousy and discontent, but perhaps it should be permitted under these exceptional circumstances if the conjoined twins decide that is what is best for them and they could be loved equally by the same person? There have been cases of this in the past in other cultures, where conjoined twins have married one person - and it has in fact worked far better than normal polygamous relationships. We shouldn't enforce or impose rules on conjoined twins if it would prevent them from having a happy and as normal as possible married and family life.

Still it wouldn't be easy for any man or woman in a western society if they were able to be married to two conjoined twins - they would probably get a lot of abuse from society for it.

Hey can anyone tell me the girls' Screename(s)? I wanna talk to them. Does anyone here know them personally? If so, thats fucking awesome! These chicks are awesome. I would love to meet them. L8r.

The Hensel family are very protective of their children and rightly so. Therefore as a rule the Hensel family do not correspond with strangers who they have not met.
Those who have a good reason to mediate with the family may do so through Conjoined Twins International:

www.conjoinedtwinsint.com

Abigail & Brittany Hensel are two individuals who are separate intellectually, psychologically, etc. but share part of the same body. Although individuals, I think they will be able to cooperate with each other to solve many of the problems that are imposed upon them by so-called "well-meaning" people. Although rare, as the twins are, there have been successful marriages of cojoined twins to individual spouses. It will be very interesting to see what happens. If they are successful in having full, independent, lives, we could learn a lot of good things from them. I wish them every success.

I wish everyone would just leave these TWO little girls alone. Let them have some peace in this often crazy cruel world. They should not have to suffer for something they had no control over.

"They should not have to suffer for something they had no control over."

Think about what you are saying TC. Even the twins would probably disagree with you. The point of all this is not to parade them like a freakshow... it is to show how the human spirit can thrive under the most unusual of circumstances.

Eric, please could you remove all of my comments about the Hensel twins? In hindsight I'd prefer that they were removed altogether. After I wrote what I did, I later thought what if Abigail and Brittany read that or their parents? I would never write what I wrote in my first post again - it would be best if all the comments were removed altogether.
If other people wish to discuss the girls in that way that's up to them, but they are real people who could read such comments and I'd prefer that they didn't to read such comments from me. Even if they have seen it, I'd feel happier if those comments were no longer there.

Sebastien.

First of all, let me say that I read all of your comments and I found none of them offensive. In fact, your first post touched on just about every issue relating to the practical and moral implications of two people sharing one reproductive system. I never fully grasped the fact that these two will probably bravely forge ahead with relationships in spite of the obvious obstacles.

And if the twins can't handle a discussion like this -- I'm sure they can -- then they have one tough life ahead of them -- er, I mean TWO tough lives -- because they are basically celebrities.

But my guess is that this sort of thing is old news to them. And if people in their lives aren't counseling them and pointing out these issues... then they have a lot of disappointment ahead of them and somebody isn't doing a proper job of raising these girls. And that's not morality... it's called preparing for life.

But the bottom line is that they are public figures, and public figures get discussed in public.

Sebastien, I want to beseech you not to remove your comments. I think you simply brought up some intriguing questions. In fact, I think you have showed great inquisitiveness, maturity, and sensitivity.

That said, I will agree to edit your main post from July 1, if you still want. You can send me a revised version and/or some comments to put in [brackets] in place of what you wrote. I prefer not to remove posts entirely, but rather edit them (especially if they sparked a lot of discussion).

But again, I really want to encourage you to leave those comments up there. They are more interesting than anything else on this page.

Two little German girls, Lea and Tabea, conjoined at the top of their skulls began the operation to separate them last Sunday in Baltimore. The operation had to be broken off to give them a chance to recover before continuing. I ask the readers of this site to pray for them, or, if not religeous, to send positive thoughts, that they may survive unharmed. They are little darlings.

Hi Eric. Thanks. I think the main issue is the personal nature of the comments. If I hadn't specifically referred to Abigail and Brittany but instead to all conjoined twins like them then I think those comments would have been o.k. However someone reminded me afterwards that Abigail and Brittany are only 14 years old, they are at a vulnerable age and therefore such comments specifically related to the girls are inappropiate. I would therefore much prefer to remove the personal references to the Hensel Twins and re-word the comments to talking in general about all contemporary and future conjoined twins who share a lower body and therefore have the same issues as Abigail and Brittany. I think the girls themselves would prefer not to be specifically referred to in this way - after all would we like to be discussed in that way?
I really don't think their parents would like the comments as they currently are either to be honest.

I'll send you a revised version to keep on here for posterity that isn't likely to cause any upset or offence to the Hensel family.

"Two little German girls, Lea and Tabea, conjoined at the top of their skulls began the operation to separate them last Sunday in Baltimore. The operation had to be broken off to give them a chance to recover before continuing. I ask the readers of this site to pray for them, or, if not religeous, to send positive thoughts, that they may survive unharmed. They are little darlings."

I'm glad I happened to see this tonight - there is now a special place where you can do just that - and we have all the latest news about Lea & Tabea together with all other living conjoined twins.

groups.yahoo.com

Eric, I've rewritten all of the above comments, retaining the content, but removing most of the references to Abigail and Brittany. They deserve far greater respect to be honest and I've felt guilty about that post ever since I realised that it wasn't such a good idea to discuss them personally in that way - If I'd met them I'd never have done that. I've also merged most of the comments into one post.
Do you have an official address that I can e-mail them to, so that the previous comments can be replaced?

Sebastien

I don't have much input on the above conversation, as I just walked into it, but I was wondering.

I'm in an Anatomy and Physiology class for my senior year science elective, and my term paper is about conjoined twins. I'm going to focus particularly on Abby and Britty and Lori and Reba Schappelle, but will touch on a few others. I already have the phreeque site (a very informative website despite the derogatory name), the tripod site, and a few random news sites here and there. Anyone have any more?
Thanks!

-Greg

If you join the Friends of Conjoined Twins group we should be able to help you in the longer term. We are a fledgling group, but I'm hoping to eventually make it the premier source of news and information about conjoined twins on the web as well as a place where the general public can post messages of friendship and support for conjoined twins and their families. The only membership requirement is that people respect conjoined twins :)

If you join you will also find a link to a special Yahoo! group all about Abby and Brittany :)

This is a direct link: groups.yahoo.com

sebastien... eric(at)stinkzone(dot)com

I am going to reply to Josh's medical questions.

Let me say upfront that the following is disturbing information, so don't read if you don't want to know the harsh truth.

Being a "conjoined twin" is, medically, considered a serious and life-threatening birth defect. Most coinjoined twins are still-born. Few survive the first days post-partum. Those who survive unseparated will face life-threatening medical challenges throughout their lives, as Josh has noticed.

All of the following has, I am sure, been transmitted to the girls' parents by doctors, psychologists and counsellors when the babies were delivered. I am sure that the girls are also in possession of this information, being intelligent and curious adolescents. In a perfect world, I would assume they are also under permanent counselling from a multidisciplinary team of medics and psychologists.

Again I stress (and I can't stress this enough) that though they are two independent, intelligent, individual human beings, they are two human beings who suffer from one of the most serious (and rare) conditions in medical literature (and certainly THE most serious in pediatric medicine).

Now, to reply to Josh:

1) The twins share their blood stream: they share each and every blood cell; they share all their plasma. This means that if one develops a life-threatening infectious or inflammatory disorder it will affect the other one as well.

2) This also means that if one dies, the by-products of cell-death will be released into the joint blood-stream and affect the surviving twin, eventually leading to shock and/or sepsis.

3) Sudden death of one of the twins would only be likely in the case of either cerebrovascular disease (brain infarction) or traumatic brain injury. This is because most of the other organs have back up and/or serve both girls identically - hence, they either fail for both of the girls or for none.

4) Eg: it is only too probable that one of the girls could have a fulminating heart-attack (ie, one which causes death in a "normal" person) and remain alive, as her sister's heart would continue to pump blood through the full conjoined body, like a life-support machine.

5) However, Heart#2 would soon prove to be insufficient to maintain both of the girls without the help of Heart#1 (as its workload has suddenly increased). This situation would only be made worse by the necrotic by-products being released from the dying-cells of Heart#1. Both girls would be identically at risk.

6) As in all situations with conjoined siblings, the only medical hope for survival of one of the twins after the brain-death of the other would be immediate separation. (A bad analogy, but one which must be made to explain the situation to someone not familiar with pathology: it is somewhat similar to when a gangrenous limb must be amputated to save a person's life.)

7) In a set of twins with these characteristics (ie, the most EXTREME degree of "conjoinedness"), with a completely obscure and uncanny anatomy, the chances of survival after separation during an EMERGENCY separation are slim. (Preparation for a programmed Separation can take many months as each artery, each vein, each organ is documented.)

8) As for Josh's question about Denegenerative brain diseases: the twins have the exact same genes. (Biologically, they are the same person, twice.) The odds of both developping the same illness would be very great. For some conditions (for example Huntington's Disease), the odds would be 100%.

9) Since we have recently come to realize that not only is our life regulated by our genes, but our chronology *as well*, odds are that they would develop the disease at *approximately* the same time.

10) Mentally they are two individuals. Genetically they are the Same Person. Their genes don't know that there are two brains at work.

Josh, I hope this answers some of your questions.

Eric did you get the re-written version of my first post on July 1?
Same points, just doesn't risk offending or upsetting anyone anymore.
I've merged my comments into one post too so you can delete what I posted on July 4, 8, August 6, 13 and 14.

Sebastien.

They haven't got a back-up of most of their internal organs Beet, only separate sets of lungs, two hearts, two stomachs, an extra kidney and gall bladder and an enlarged liver etc. So if anything did go wrong and I hope it doesn't, they don't have anymore of a chance than you or me. A single heart could not sustain them both either.
As for separation the chances of survival are virtually zero and what sort of life would the surviving twin have? In any case most conjoined twins in the past have decided to go together.
I hope though they'll beat all the odds and live a normal lifespan.

Yes, I made the changes to your July 1 entry. But I'm not gonna delete the other entries because -- as I stated before -- I don't delete posts.

I post interesting and amusing items like this to stimulate an lively and unpredictable discussions. If I deleted all your posts it would defeat the very purpose of this site. I thrive on the unpredictable and irreverent.

This is not the Abigail and Brittany fan club. You can go to yahoo for that. This is the Stink Zone. And at the Stink Zone it should be assumed that sensitive people will get offended and get upset. I did an unpredented and very nice thing in helping you edit your original post. But that is where I draw the line.

Hope you understand.

And by the way, I think you are obsessing. It is safe to say that Abigail & Brittany will have no trouble finding suitors with groupies like you around.

Hi Eric,

I only asked for some of the other posts to be deleted purely because they are duplicated in the first post. It was just so that you could tidy up your message board that's all - otherwise it just looks like I've spammed your message board. It was the first post that I wish I'd written differently a few days after I initially wrote it and I thank you for letting me do that. And NO I'm not obsessing at all! Am I now going to go writing that stuff again anywhere else? No - I don't want to write that sort of stuff again. I only kept it there but re-written because you asked me to.

Sebastien.

Good heavens...this sebastian stuff is really clogging up the whole point of this site. I'm wanting information, not rambling self-involved postings.

Jj... at this site we deal with real issues and real problems. if you are already perfect, this might not be the place for you. Here at the Stink Zone we encourage long drawn out conversations, where people threaten each other, hash out petty differences, highlight glaring contradictions and hypocrisy... then shake hands and walk into the digital sunset (in separate directions, of course).

why do some of you assume that they will want to or need to get married to be happy? That shouldn't be assumed of any people.

There's a few things I want to say here in response to recent comments.

Since I originally wrote those comments, I've moved on and have grown up somewhat. What you have there is a one off - you won't see it again anywhere else.
Why did I ever write what I did? It's NOT because I'm a groupie obsessed with conjoined twins or because I'm after one of the Hensels when they are adults because neither of those are true.

It was in fact intended to counter all this doom and gloom from people on here and elsewhere that because these people are conjoined twins there is no hope for them ever finding partners or happy, content relationships. I don't believe that that should neccessarily be true. All it takes is a couple of people with open minds who could each love one of these people enough to get over all the problems and issues of having to share their whole lives with their partner plus one or two other people. There probably are such people out there who would be right for them, who live within a reasonable distance of them and are an acceptable age for them. And such a person would really have to think though and come to terms with these issues. All I've done is just thought what would I do in that situation and in hindsight rather dumbly expressed it in public - Now I feel that I would rather have kept it to myself, but what's done is done.

And if my comments are all over the page, when given the chance to edit my original posts I tried to tidy up my comments into just a couple of posts by merging them, but some of the older original comments still remain under the rewritten post and therefore repeat the first comments. So please don't blame me for 'spamming' the board. I asked for those extra unneccessary posts to be removed exactly for that reason.

Thanks Sebastien. Don't worry about what others might -- or might not -- be thinking about you. Anyone who has taken the time to read all these posts can't be all that disimilar from you.

As for my policy on removing posts... I very rarely remove posts because I feel it is important to preserve the dialog between visitors. If I remove your posts, then I will also be removing an aspect of other posts. It will go from a two-sided dialog, to a one-sided dialog. I hope you understand. Again, I wouldn't worry what others think of you. I run this place, and I enjoy reading your comments.

I've read a great deal about Brittany and Abigail Hensel, and from what I know of them, they seem like two very normal girls. They just look different. I remember reading something where their father said his daughters were so outgoing that they'd sometimes approach people and talk to them. Believe me, I would much rather have two children like that (even if they were conjoined) than a shy and antisocial child. By the way, regarding "unusual" people, have any of you guys heard about the Aceves family (with hypertrichosis)? I was thinking about them because there are similarities between them and the Hensel family.

I am a student studying alternative therapies in London and for our final year have to come up with an idea for a project of our choice that is related to the "energy" type of therapies that we have been studying. My chosen subject is quality and how as a therapist we may feel the same twists or pulls or tensions or blockages in a patients system during a treatment yet how my perception of those pulls, twists and blockages will have a different quality to them to those experienced by another therapist. For example, a twisted shoulders energy field may feel to me very red, or have a corkscrew quality to it, but to another therapist the energy may have a cold quality to it and remind the therapist of a whirlpool. Neither of these are wrong as they are drawn from our own individual experiences. Abigail and Brittany are in an exceptional environment whereby everything they experience from sunsets to sunrises, the magnificence of a thunder storm to the awe of rainbow, they have experienced together and yet from these same experiences they will have very different ideas of quality, likes and dislikes, differences of opinion, one may enjoy dark chocolate, the other milk chocolate as they are both individuals. I have limited resources as to where to take this branch of my project and would appreciate any further help.

What a cool discussuion!

First of all, I want to thank (Dr.?) Beet for his/her fascinating comments.

Secondly, I want to thank Eric for THIS attitude:

"At this site we deal with real issues and real problems. if you are already perfect, this might not be the place for you."

Well, I'm NOT perfect, so this is the place for me!

Thirdly, Sebastian:
Calm down, willya? Jeezus H. Christ!

To the religious assholes who feel it's their place to either condemn or approve whatever sexual life they choose:

FUCK YOU.

This case is unique. Anything those two can do that will make them happy and feel love is good, and by definition comes from God.

And to Josh, who said "it would be crazy to party with them!":

yes, it would be! It'd be an honor, too! Those girls are an inspiration to me, who sometimes complains about MY bullshit problems, yet look how (emotionally) healthy they are.

Fuck man, If I could party with them, I'd probably come out afterwords a better, more shit-together, positive person than when I sat down and offered them a beer!

Two beers.

Which brings me to my last observation. It concerns me that some people are looking to feel guilty or judgemental about discussing things which everybody is already thinking and has ever since the Life magazine article.

This is BULL SHIT.

If A & B were two sad, tragic, depressed little girls, then "sensitivity" would be an issue. But they're not. In fact, they're more dynamic and happy than *I* am, and I'm just as happy and dynamic as anyone on the street.

Though I hesitate to speak for them, I bet that if they could speak for themselves here, they'd say:

======
Hey, come on guys! PLEASE don't feel like you're walking tentatively on eggshells when you discuss us -- God knows you don't treat each OTHER that way! :-)

We've already talked about everything under the sun with our parents, more with our doctor... and a whole LOT more with our friends. ;-)

In fact, last Halloween, we went to the next state and knocked on people's doors and yelled "trick or treat"!

HYACK HYUCK HYUCK! You should have seen the look on their faces!!

...Just treat us like you do everyone else. THAT'S what will make us happy.

Your pals,
A & B
========

=[ david

When I saw there was a page www.worldinvisible.com
about "Abagail and Brittany from a Christian perspective", I was filled with revulsion and disgust that the holier-than-thou FUCKHEADS would dare to judge whatever decisions A & B make.

I was glad to be completely wrong. This is some of what they said there:

=========
"Obviously these girls have much to gain in living in harmony with each other - but don't we all?

"Teamwork and unity is a concept they have had to grasp quickly. When they can't agree on where to go - a rare occurrence - they literally cannot move. When one misbehaves, both are sent to their room.

"Their father pointed out how much they watch out for each other now. Despite overwhelming obstacles they have shown how important respecting each other's dignity and individuality is without allowing selfishness to overide the necessity and beauty of unity.

"In the professional business communities of Christian Corps International (CCI) we have quickly discovered the importance of what these twins have grasped - that joy, harmony and peace in living together can only come when we are willing to guard each other's dignity and set aside our own selfish pride.
=====

Amen.

It's good to see one of the rare "Christians" who remembers what Christ was actually trying so hard to teach us.

=[ d

What 'choo lookin' at, Willis?

This confirms that it is indeed possible for conjoined twins to have a traditional, moral, decent, Christian, married life:

www.geocities.com

By the way, this is a recent photo of Abigail and Brittany today:

www.geocities.com

A lot of folks don't know it, but their sister has the opposite problem:

www.geocities.com

This is their Mom, which explains a lot:

www.geocities.com

Their cousin Beth has a slightly more pronounced handicap, but it doesn't prevent her from being the most popular girl in the dorm:

www.geocities.com

Their cousin Cindy thought her situation would exempt her from being arrested for public nudity, but she was wrong:

www.geocities.com

But it all just goes to show that zygotically-challenged citizens can still live happy and productive livves!

www.geocities.com

---------

I'll probably go to hell for this. But it's what I get for billing my employer for working at home, and smoking dope and playing with Photoshop instead!

Sebastien: -you needn't apologize, for God's sake!! i.e. for "having written about such a personal issue" and "telling A & B how to live their lives". If anything, you've very nobly righted the wrongs perpetrated on these lovely girls by so many dogmatic minds.
What I hope is that they have some chance of reading your thoughtful, balanced, careful words to them. AS I've found in this site some input signed by A&B themselves, perhaps they have read your message.

Since I first learn about them through a documentary by Y2K, I've periodically
re-attempted to find contact information (even indirectly) to send them some advise to counter the truckloads of stupid prejudice they are be exposed to-against whic, as a biologist, I'm vaccinated. (Do you have some training in biological science ? If not, you've done a lot of homework.)

The fact is: married or otherwise, they needn't deprive themselves of the grandiose experience of human love and sexuality!

Regarding the Dreary Cuckaboo of Promiscuity, some considerations ought to be taken into account:

1) The first one is quite basic: if sex itself entailed some promiscuity [it doesn't, as we shall see in #2], WHAT???... We're living the XXI Century, not the Dark Ages (did the Talibal win?...) This means: the '60s have happened, the '70s have happened, the '80s have happened. All this time, people have been doing what they pleased with sexuality. Despite no physical constrain whatsoever, they've been getting laid in twos, threes, [n]s. Are they to refrain from engaging into sexual experience just for dear of doing some unorthodox, when they simply have no other way?

2) In spite of differences in orientation, practically all sexologists coincide on this: our brain is our most powerful sexual organ. Sexual experience is made of willingness, mood, emotion and imagination. Performing artists are able to suppress sexual arousal to some degree. On the other hand, kissing is so important to the emotional dimension of sexual experience that many sexual workers simply won't have it. So, in the case one of the girls is having sex with her partner (and they agree not to share partners) he won't kiss whom he's not meant to; and the non-participant will be able to suppress the experience to a great measure. To reinforce this they could also agree to use the left or the right one to caress the partner depending on who is having sex. [unless of course they *do* choose to engage in a threesome.]

3) True, their sexual freedom cannot be as absolute as in two non-conjoined individuals. If one of them wanted to have children and the other didn't, too bad for the latter; their predicament would also call for specially careful screening of sexual partners if one of them chose not to be strictly monogamic. But it's also true that each one needs the co-operation of the other, so there's more space for negotiating and empathy, as well as a more intense experience. And it must be said, this doesn't make sexuality unique in this respect: for metabolic reasons they cannot overeat or get drunk without engaging the other. So restrictions to absolute freedom are of a physical nature and in no way bonded to sexuality.

4) Yes, their partners will have to be special -i.e. willing to accept some restrictions, or to "sharing" his wife's body. But we must keep in mind that there is no shortage of "special" people in this world. There are civilian men married to high-ranking military women. Consider the wives of seamen who spend months or years aboard, or of firemen who risk their lives on a daily basis. There are normal persons married to physically challenged persons, or terminal patients, or some too old, or too young.
And how special should such a man be? Just enough to keep in mind what was expressed in #2: when his sister-in-law is having sex with her partner, his wife **is not** having sex with another man. (On the other hand, they would get mad just like any regular guy if cuckolded by a **free-moving** wife...)
I dare forecast, with the faces and skins the girls have there will be no shortage of the "special" guys required. Let's quote the final lines in the lyrics of that old song:
"The World will welcome lovers/
as time goes by"...

So I have a final advise to... the focus of our attention,

Dear Abigail and Brittany: if (as hypothesized by some contributors to this board) the State ever bans your marriage based on bigamy issues, first of all you must assess the scope of such prohibition. Please keep in mind that in this our time, marriage is just a technical-legal category related to topics such as bequeathing your estate, granting a green card to a foreign spouse, social security issues or spousal immunity during your spouse's trial but-in principle-has nothing to do with your intimate conduct. Therefore, not being allowed to marry doesn't mean that you cannot start couples and families. But if the State went one step farther in the Orwellian direction and decided to enforce their injunction _de facto_ by criminalizing your actions in this sense, my advise then becomes: EMIGRATE!!! Get your passports, or simply cross to Canada!!! They may speak funny, but it's just some miles away from your home, and be sure you'll be left alone (some time ago, thousands of your countryfolk were, and far more compromising issues were involved.) At least this will let you buy time until Pat Buchanan's advocated invasion takes place.

But YOU DESERVE TO BE HAPPY AND FREE, and your unfrequent physical configuration entitles nobody-I mean: nobody-to have you lie on Procust's Bed.

Hear no other advise!

Edward Larsen wrote:

"Since I first learn about them through a documentary by Y2K, I've periodically
re-attempted to find contact information (even indirectly) to send them some advise to counter the truckloads of stupid prejudice they are be exposed to-against whic, as a biologist, I'm vaccinated. (Do you have some training in biological science ? If not, you've done a lot of homework.)"

Have you ever thought that the Hensel family might NOT want strangers to contact them - especially people trying to get in contact with Abby and Brittany themselves who are still not even 15 years old?!

The Hensel family if they feel that it is neccessary, will have sought professional counsellors who can give Abby and Brittany good, thoughtful and suitable advice for their situation. Be assurred, they neither need nor want letters from strangers.

I doubt that Britty and Abby are thinking about marrage yet considering there not quite 15. There probably just starting to have crushes and boyfriends or a boyfriend and experience love or whatever. I doubt they are drinking too hello under the age limit plus there in sports i don't think they want to not be able to participate in all the sports they do because they decided to drink. i know i wouldn't want to. And some of you people are very sick and twisted and rude and inconsiderate they have feelings and you shouldn't be talking about them in sexual ways that's disgusting you people are probably like in your 30's there not even 15 your like probably twice their age.

To Cassandra and anyone else who feels the same way. I'm nowhere near twice Abigail's and Brittany's age nor am I in my thirties, nor older than that. When I wrote what I did, I was not thinking about any possible upset to Abigail and Brittany or their family - indeed I don't ever expect to meet the girls and at the time of writing I didn't really think that Abigail and Brittany would ever read my comments.

I do not apologise for discussing a real life situation that all conjoined twins like this must face - in that I see nothing wrong - but I do regret making personal references to Abigail and Brittany in what I said. For that I'm sorry, most of all to Abigail and Brittany if they ever read these words. I was given the opportunity to edit out personal references in ONE post and I did.

All I did was think about and talk about being in the situation of a guy who happened to fall in love with someone who is a conjoined twin and many of the issues that go with it.
- Lets face it ANYONE who considered having a relationship with someone who is a conjoined twin WOULD have to think about all of this. - If they haven't then they shouldn't go into such a relationship because a relationship with someone who is a conjoined twin is the most complex human relationship possible with more difficulties to overcome than any other.

Anyway as far as I'm concerned this is all history now but I'm NOT 'very sick and twisted' nor deliberately and intentionally 'rude and inconsiderate'.
- And putting it bluntly, if you never once thought about marriage and relationships when you were a young teenager, you must have led a very sheltered life! According to the Time article from 1996, Abigail and Brittany were asking their parents about this when they were just five!

I don't approve myself of what some other people have since posted here however or the fact that this messageboard also allows people to write deliberately abusive stuff against Abigail and Brittany.

However I sincerely apologise for talking about this issue by making personal references to Abigail and Brittany. - Why? Because I genuinely didn't mean or intend to hurt or cause any upset or disrespect to Abigail and Brittany or the Hensel family. And it is for that reason that I wish I'd never posted what I did. It is not something that I would do again.

Now I will move on permanently from all of this and talk about other things elsewhere.

Sebastien.

Sebastian:

She wasn't criticising you for those dark,secret, evil feelings you have. She wasn't erven TALKING to you, she was talking to HH!

Before you commit suicide, lemme give you the SHOCK TREATMENT!

One day's work and those two would be set for life, and I don't mean the magazine.

I mean a *different* magazine.

Playboy!

Yup,Hef'd pay a million dollars for those naked pix (like they did with many other celebs), and if he wouldn't, Flynt sure as hell would!

Why?

Because EVERY GUY IN THE COUNTRY would buy a copy!

==> And so would YOU.

That's my point, and I'll prove it:

Being nice girls, they'd refuse to take money to be seen naked. Instead, they

did it for FREE:
www.geocities.com

I'll bet they're smart enough to become a star in Hollywood, too! Do you think they'd put one star or two in the sidewalk? Guys'd pay GOOD MONEY to see that thang do four guys at once, and BIG money to be one of the four!

==> And so would YOU.

...But you're angry now, awww. Don't give me that holier-than-thou shit! Are you mad at ME for telling the truth, or mad at YOU 'cause it IS the truth?

If I had accused you of wanting to fuck Whopee Goldberg, you wouldn't have gotten MAD now, would you, Sebastian?

C'mon... you KNOW you want it!

Otherwise, why did you follow the link I gave?

Quod Erat Demonstratum.

Ha hah-hah!

Now WAKE UP BOY,and FUCK GIRLS before you get old and wish you hadn't wasted your entire, priceless youth listening to twisted, sick old people tell you to feel guilty about sex!

Like I did.

Yeah right Faye!!!!!!!!

Not everyone who posts to this board is a totally sick and depraved person like you!!!!!!!! Don't try to justify yourself by accusing others of being the same. And if you think I'm lying about any of this, a lie detector would prove you wrong. Anyway I'm not going to stay around to waste my life away arguing with low lives like you. I'm away from here!

Sebastien:

> Don't try to justify yourself by
> accusing others of being the same.

That's the POINT, boy! You don't NEED
"justification" for what you feel! Nobody's judging you, except by what you DO.

People hate Hinkley because he shot Reagan, not because he thought about Jodie Foster when he yanked!

Once there's hair on your swollen, blue balls, mommy and daddy and grandma are DEAD, even if they're sitting in the next room watching the Jimmy Swaggart Evangelical Hour.

They all fuck too, you know. Except Jimmy Swaggart. He yanks.

==> You don't NEED to be forgiven.

You're not guilty of anything more than having been born an innocent, intelligent animal.

And what YOU need to do is to pay less attention to the "intelligent" and more attention to the "animal".

> if you think I'm lying about any of
> this, a lie detector would prove
> you wrong.

No, you're not lying. You're just not telling ther truth.

If they wired you up and the questioner showed you a naked picture of Whopee Goldberg, you'd go "Ugh! What the fuck is THAT? Get it away!" and the needles would jitter.

But if he showed you a naked picture of the Stereo Sisters, you'd get all upset and sweating and shaking and denying.

The lie detector would go off the scale and catch fire, which is what YOU need to do.

The lie detector it doesn't detect LIES, it detects EMOTIONS.

...ones which YOU need to detect, boy!

See, much like your balls, the toothpase is ALREADY squeezed--you don't have a choice about that.

If you keep the cap on the tube, it doesn't stop hurting, it just gets forced out the seams in the bottom of the tube like it did for Jimmy Swaggart the swaggering braggart.

...Or sometimes the whole tube explodes, blowing white gooey stuff all over everyone nearby. That's when you climb up a tower and start shooting strangers.

Or you become an old person shaking his finger at the young and innocent, telling them to be ashamed for wanting to love each other.

Dammit boy, don't let that happen to you!

Brush your teeth, wash your face, go on a date with a girl, go to the other end of the date, then go to the other end of the girl!

==> SHE WANTS YOU TO.

Get it?

SEBASTIEN!

The Hensel twins must have been reading this, because they added something to their website, and it's about YOU!

It's right after the first picture:
www.geocities.com

You lucky bastard! You know what other guys would do for a 15 year-old virgin with two mouths?

Don't run away and screw it up, boy!

- Faye

To everyone on this site- y'all need to get a life. Especially Sebestian. Dude, you spend WAY too much time analyzing the lives of Abby and Brittany. Plus, you leave a huge essay as a single post that has no useful info at all. It's just you rambling on and on and on. If you feel sorry for talking about Abby and Brittany in such a mean and derrogatory way, then maybe you shouldn' t even post on this site. To everyone else, who's trying to find info on the girls for research or other credited things like that, then I suggest that you go to a real website, since this guy will let anybody post when they know very little of what they're trying to convince people of. Look for websites that are made by an organization such as the Friends of Conjoined Twins, or some other respectable site like that.

It's time to take this page off the web. Young children can easily view the inappropiate content on this page. Those of you who are responsible should be ashamed of yourselves.

There is a new and hopefully much more civilised weblog about Abby and Brittany Hensel here:

www.tommcmahon.net

======================================
======================================
THE GOOD NEWS YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!
======================================
======================================

Abby and Brittany's family album is back online.

YAAAY!

67.102.243.28

OBOY!
Sebastian in particular needs a good long dose of this.

Those who would squash your right to say what you like have been overruled by Internet technology, which they can never suppress.

It's easy to "allow" other people the freedom to do things you already like. The true test of liberty and freedom is what you do when you see something you DON'T like.

I wish Abigail and Brittany Happy Easter.Best wishes from Poland!Does anybody know how are they feel now?

To Faye Kname -
Internet technology doesn't overrule anything. It merely enables those like you to extinguish a forum for meaningful communication which, of course, is exactly what you want.

Hey, I dont think some of the things you've said about Ab and Brit are very nice. I've known them since they were 3 and they're 15 now. Be respectful. They are very cool people, very normal, and are just like you and I. Ab and Brit are great girls, don't disrepect them for your own sake. They're my friends, and I'm standing up for them just as I'd hope you'd stand up for your own.

what really interests me about these girls..is the telepathy,or whatever it is that makes them able to function as one..if one girl controls the left side,and the other controls the right,how is it they function with one body,that is without constantly communicating with each other about their next move...they have to have some kind of shared thought process.
can they read each others thoughts??
if so can one read all of the others thoughts,or only certain aspects?
can one stop the other from reading her thoughts?
is it deliberate,or uncontrolable?
i also wonder about emotions,i know with me..if i get depressed,or sad,or angry,it can effect my entire world..the same is true if i am happy..is it possible for one of the girls to be sad,while the other is happy?if so doesn't that have bizarre effects on the body?
also,what about arguing?..do they argue?
i know they would be forced to resolve whatever differences they may have quickly,still it would suck if you wanted to do somthing really bad,and your right side wouldn't let you.
i saw them on oprah,and their actions seemed seemless,and completely unified,yet they also seemed very individual.
whatever the case,these are amazing girls.

seamless

Wow, this site has been really interesting! Sebastian, you keep saying how guilty you were for a post you put up awhile ago. Everyone makes mistakes, but not everyone apologizes (or seems sincere about an apology) like the way you did and I respect that!

To Abby and Britty Hensel, I remember seeing you guys on TV when I was young, and I've remembered you ever since. (I'm 15 now!) I'd like to see another post from you guys! (If you have time.) And are you guys still going to do that TV show? ~Michelle

"Faye Kname" - That says it all.

You're an idiot and a coward.

Find some forum for the rest of the junior high crowd and you guys can giggle and share photoshop creations all day.

Ugh, I agree with Michael. That site was just terrible and I really didn't expect that. That website is extremely rude and offensive and the link should be deleted off the forum.

Hi,
I work for a British production company and we are very interested in making contact with Abby and Brittany and their family to discuss the possibility of making a television documentary following on from Discovery's film, as we know so many people want to know what they are up to now and what progress they have made since.
Our company has a good history making factual medical documentaries, and would just like to talk to the Hensel family and send them some examples of our work to see if they would wish to take it further. If anyone has a website link/email contact/can tell me any details such as their school or hospital where I could at least make contact with doctors, this would be so appreciated.
Many thanks and kind regards,
Harriet

What is your company called? - Can someone find out where it is based and contact you there and do you have a verifiable e-mail address?

I'm sorry but no one is going to risk sending any info to a Yahoo address - you could be anyone!

AFTER READING THESE DISSCUSSIONS, I WAS IN TOTAL DISBELIF OF THE KIND OF COMMENTS THAT WERE SAID ABOUT TWO LITTLE GIRLS, A MERE 15 YRS. OLD.DISSCUSSIONS ABOUT MARRIAGE,THEIR HEALTH AND THEIR FUTURE THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY OF YOU'ALL BUSINESS.NO WONDER THE HENSEL PARENTS PROTECT THIER DAUGTHERS SO MUCH.FROM WHAT IS BEING SAID ALL OF YOU SOUND LIKE A BUNCH OF FREAKS.THESE ARE YOUNG KIDS NOT SUITABLE TO READ SUCH MATERIALS AS INSENSITIVE AS THOSE ABOVE. I HOPE THESE GIRLS HAVE PARENTAL CONTROL ON THIER COMPUTERS,BUT KNOWING THIER PARENTS THEY DO.YOU'ALL ARE A BUNCH OF LOSERS AND NOSY MEDLERS.WHY DON'T YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WRONG IN YOUR LIVES INSTEAD OF THE LIVES OF TWO LITTLE GIRLS, WHO WOULD CARE LESS ABOUT YOURS!!! NOSY FREAKS....MAY GOD BLESS AND PROTECT THESE LITTLE GIRLS,ESPECIALLY FROM PEOPLE LIKE YOU.

O.K. so you hate me! Why don't you all get it off your chests and tell me so? After all an apology clearly means nothing to some of you and I deserve to be lynched.

Tell me exactly what you think of me at:

i_hate_sebastien@yahoo.com

and then get on with your lives.

For your personal satisfaction, time and effort I will read every e-mail that is sent to me but for my own personal safety I won't reply to any e-mail sent to this address.

To O.G-
Wow, you know Abby and Brittany have posted their thoughts on this website before, and they both don't seem to have that huge of a problem with this forum. If this website offended them or their family, they would have said so. There is also a bit of hypocracy going on. You took the time and cared enough about the Hensels to post your opinion. That must make you a "loser" and a "nosy medler" too. And one more thing: I'm a fifteen year old too. We're beginning to drive and we're making big decisions in our lives that will effect us as adults. I don't know how old you are, but most of us teenagers find it disrespectful when you call us "little kids."
But after all this, I do agree that SOME people have abused this site. I'm not talking about Sebastian, but more like Faye Kname and those people.

I think that out of respect for Abby, Brittany and their family, this webpage should be removed. If the owner of this website had a heart at all then they would do that. Abby and Brittany without a doubt DO NOT wish to be discussed on the internet in this way and I urge everyone with the tiniest amount of respect and compassion for the girls and their family to boycott this website.

Several other less than respectful webpages have been removed as a result of requests from the Hensel family, leaving this webpage standing out like a sore thumb. The owner of this website should now follow the other website owners' example and remove this page.

I am the writer of the article and administrator of this website. I do not remove posts because they are offensive.

Nudity, sexual deviance, and physical anomalies offend or discomfort many people. Others find them entertaining, amusing, and even humorous. A few of us, simply see these characteristics and activities as an inevtiable part of life, and we don't make a big fuss about them.

What's the problem Sebastian? You have said the least offensive things on this site and you go on for a year with apology posts. get over yourself and move on. You merely hypothesized on the life of conjoined twins. no one seems concerned with what you said except yourself. Eric has tried to calm you but you keep on. Please, move on.

I moved on from all this ages ago, but am tired of seeing people still slagging me off after writing an apology, hence my rather flippant previous comment.

in my opinion the two girls act like any other girl at 15. ive talked them on the phone many of times before and they sound just fine with their condition and seem like any other girl. my girlfriend is their best friend and she says they dont seem any differnt than anyother person shes met. im not sure why think its weird or w/e. if they really dont like how they are. they didnt choose to have all this happen im sure of that. this just happens because of a rare and unfortunate mess up when their body cells divided and multiplied before they were born. they will just live out their lives acting like normal girls.

It's easy to "allow" other people the freedom to do things you approve of.

The true test of integrity is what you do when you see something you DON'T like.

Something... like THIS:

[link deleted by the management]

You know, another reason I made that site is because of all the fake posturing about how there's nothing wrong with A & B, that they're just like "normal" girls.

It's good that they're psychologically normal, and if they were terrified and embarrased about going outside then I never would have put my site up.

But they ARE psychologically healthy, and my site IS up. And one thing I'm saying with it is: if Abby and Brit's situation is perfectly okay, then so would be the people pictured on my site.

But those (make-believe) creatures are manifestly NOT okay! If they existed, they'd be tragic genetic malfunctions... JUST LIKE A & B ARE.

==[ Answer this:
==[
==[ Suppose the Raliens had deliberately genetically engineered Abby and Brittany. Would we say "oh, that's perfectly okay -- there's nothing wrong or tragic about that"?

Well?

It's just as tragic when "nature" screws it up.

And when we deny that, and lie to each other and to ourselves about whether an unjust, sad, terrible thing has happened to two brave and innocent little girls, then I won't remain silent about, for instance, Sebastian's pathological guilt about merely being curious.

The boy was misprogrammed to feel guilty about his feelings. That is a crime worse than what nature did to two little girls.

Because THIS crime, WE are responsible for.

It's not because of meanness and crulety that I created
[link deleted by the management]. It's because I have "cancer of the empathy".

I care far too much about other people suffering like Sebastian to just shut up and say nothing.

Faye,

I deleted your links, not because they offend me, nor out of concern for our visitors. I deleted them simply to annoy you.

There is something that I have to say here. I think that you are one of the most narrow, closed minded people there are and your sense of humour is just totally pathetic. YOU are the one who is tragic and screwed up not Abby and Brittany. You're in fact no better or different than those who pick on people with a different skin colour.

Abby and Brittany are two beautiful young girls. That is not just my opinion but that of many. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with the way that they look or 'tragic' about their condition. The fact is that they are both happy, physically and mentally healthy and perfectly normal teenagers. They are no different to anyone else. Brittany and Abby are two very ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances and over the past 15 years they have handled that just fine. So what is wrong, tragic or screwed up about that?

I learned long ago to look past someone's physical appearance or behaviour and see the real person inside. With Abby and Brittany although I've never met them, I don't even notice that they are conjoined anymore - to me they are just twins and if I was ever asked to refer to them or describe them to someone I would call them just that - twins.

It's you and people like you who are tragic and screwed up. It's tragic that you cannot appreciate or respect others for who they are as people. As for saying that you care and have empathy for people like Abby and Brittany, you need to have your head examined. You've done the cruelist, most malicious and callous thing to them that I have ever seen on the internet and you're proud of that!

I've had enough of seeing all the abuse and ignorance that goes on here. I'm starting my own weblog about Abby and Brittany and just as we have done on the forum about them, I'll make sure that it is respectful and sensitive towards Brittany, Abby and their family. Yes I too believe in free speech, so long as you don't hurt and upset the people you are talking about - that is more important to me than free speech.

On July 17 Kyle wrote: “... ive talked them on the phone many of times before and they sound just fine with their condition and seem like any other girl. my girlfriend is their best friend and she says they dont seem any differnt than anyother person shes met...”

It’s good to read, that here are some friends of the twins and that the girls are okay. Unfortunately there are since 2 years, or more, no new messages or photos of Abigail and Brittany in newspapers or the www. Have they won ore lost with the volleyball-team, are they working good at school, are they healthy,...?

I just got off the phone with the twins. They are doing just great! They sound so normal and didn't seem to mind that I was totally geeking out.

As far as news goes, they gave up volleyball and are now playing waterpolo. Their grades are pretty good, mostly A's and B's; they never copy from each other. Also, Abigail now has a boyfriend, and Brittany -- she's such a good sport -- doesn't seem to mind one bit.

And to all you perverts, loners, losers, and wannabe dicephaletic twins, the twins want you all to know: you can kiss their ass!

Pun Intended

Thanks Karen.

Just to say that our new weblog about Abby and Brittany is now up and running. So if like me you object to all the unkind and insensitive comments here, there is now a new moderated weblog where you can talk about Abby and Brittany.

They'll figure it out. Leave them alone.

Wow. Creepy. You folks care for calamity. If these two were simply separate twins, would you honestly give one red cent about them?

But hey, it's fun to talk about them behind their back! Teehee!

Nah. If the girls should read this, hey! Howdy! *peace sign* Glad to know you don't have to pretend to be eccentric to stand out!