Rare Conjoined Twins Abby and Brittany Share Their Exciting News With The World

By: Lauren Wurth | Published: Nov 03, 2023

The world has been mystified for the last 30 years by these conjoined twins, Abby and Brittany Hensel. After defying all the odds to simply get through each day, they were open to sharing their incredible journey. The twins’ recent announcement has left everybody completely in awe.

So, what was their shared announcement, and, moving forward, how were the rest of their lives changed? The world needs to know!

The Hensel Sisters Openly Share Their Journey With The World

Sharing their journey with the entirety of the world is definitely a brave thing to do. Their fascinating, yet challenging lives continue to capture audiences’ attention from all over, not just in the United States.

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People were able to get a little glimpse of what being a pair of conjoined twins is like, while also being privy to their triumphs and tribulations. 20 years later, the next chapter of their journey is revealed.

Abby And Brittany Hensel Were Unique From The Moment They Were Born

Born in Carver County, MN on March 7, 1990, it was the fateful day that Abby and Brittany Hensel came into the world…as conjoined twins. Incredibly rare conjoined twins, to be exact. The correct scientific term is classified as dicephalic parapagus.

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Abby and Brittany are beyond unique (as is their journey), considering that they each have one head and one unified body.

The Conjoined Twins That Defied All The Odds

The survival rate of conjoined twins is extremely low. To be exact, only one out of every 189,000 births results in conjoined twins. Approximately one in nine of every pair of conjoined twins has the dicephalic parapagus condition, as Abby and Brittany do.

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It’s incredible that even with a low chance of survival for conjoined twins Abby and Brittany, they made it out alive. Could they be considered a miracle?

The Hensel Twins Are A Modern Marvel

The inner workings of Abby and Brittany are just as unique and extraordinary as what’s on the outside. Their upper body consists of a separate pair of organs for each twin, even though their appearance could suggest otherwise. Two stomachs, two hearts, and four lungs exist for Abby and Brittany collectively.

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Contrastingly, they only possess one liver, one large intestine, and one reproductive system, meaning that their lower bodies are entirely conjoined. How in the world do they live with this?

They Were Initially Born With A Third Arm

Since a young age, the twins have constantly been in the prime spotlight.  Many people may not have known that Abby and Brittany actually had a third arm after they were born.

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It was even more difficult to control the third arm since the twins only felt sensations on each of their respective sides. Therefore, the arm had to be surgically removed during infancy.

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Abby And Brittany Go Through Something Extraordinary When They Get Sick

The conjoined twins go through an unbelievable experience when they fall ill. Abby only feels discomfort on her body’s left side and Brittany only feels the sensation on her right.

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So, if the stomach of one twin in the pair is aching, the other twin may experience discomfort on the other side. This sounds extremely confusing considering we don’t go through anything like this ourselves. But for Abby and Brittany, this is something normal for them. It begs the question: what happens with their body temperature?

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Body Temperature Is Discussed By Abby And Brittany On TV

Abby and Brittany have always faced a host of challenges and setbacks. However, another big one is that they have two separate body temperatures (which makes sense given that body temperature is controlled by the brain and they have two).

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While one twin is sweaty, the other can feel completely normal, which must be extremely confusing at times. Isn’t it wild that only one-half of the pair can be sweating at a certain time when the other doesn’t feel it at all?!

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Different Motor Control for Each Twin as Well!

In addition, both twins each have control over one half of the body! This means that each twin controls only one arm and one leg. How hard must it be for them to learn how to walk? Most of us use rhythm between both of our legs to get ourselves from place to place!

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Instead, they have to coordinate their strides! In addition, they have learned how to run, brush their hair, swim, and even drive! Can you imagine driving while only having control of one leg?

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How Did Abby and Brittany Learn How To Drive?

Of course, many people were curious about how Abby and Brittany learned how to drive a car. They both had to sit for the exam separately. In fact, each twin has her own driver’s license even though they have to drive a car together!

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This means that, somehow, the twins had to take the driving test and written test separately. Can you imagine that? That must have been a unique experience for everyone who was in the room that day!

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They Continue To Work Together To Drive a Car

It took a while for Abby and Brittany to master the teamwork of driving. For example, one twin is in control of the gas while the other twin is in charge of the brakes. One twin also has control over the turn signal.

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This means that each twin has to place a lot of faith in the other. Fortunately, they agree that both twins are good drivers! This is great not only for them but also for everyone else who might be on the road around them!

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How Do The Twins Get Dressed in the Morning?

It can also be a challenge for them to get dressed in the morning. Over the years, the twins have had to learn to compromise. Sometimes, one twin does not agree with the other when it comes to the look of the day.

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Even though the twins have their different styles, they have learned to compromise over the years. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see the twins sporting different looks on the same body? Luckily, this doesn’t happen much!

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Natural Looks Versus Bright and Colorful

When it comes to getting dressed, Abby tends to favor bright, colorful looks. On the other hand, Brittany enjoys a more muted vibe. This also has to do with their personalities! It makes sense that because Abby likes brighter colors, she is also the more outspoken of the pair!

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She is usually the first one to speak up. It is the differences in their personalities and styles that make Abby and Brittany Hensel a lot of fun to be around!

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They Lead Different Social Lives as Well

It should make sense that because Abby is more outgoing, she is more likely to socialize with others. Perhaps that is where her bright clothes come from. Even though Abby is more social, Brittany claims to be the one who likes to explore the world more often.

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Abby does like to socialize, but she also describes herself as more of a “homebody.” This is just another way that their differences make for an interesting pair! What else separates the two?

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The Possibility of Dating

Both Abby and Brittany understand that how they choose to date and if they choose to become mothers is a topic of curisioty for most. With that being said they prefer to keep these areas of their lives private as the girls are very different people.

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Abby stated “Yeah, we are going to be moms one day, but we don’t want to talk about how it’s going to work yet.” For the Hensel twins, it’s all about the compromise, they always try to meet halfway and ensure they are both happy about the decision they have made.

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Abby and Brittany Discuss a Fear of Heights

There are other ways that Abby and Brittany Hensel are different as well! For example, Brittany has a fear of heights! This is not something that Abby shares. In addition, Brittany tends to like art classes more. In contrast, Abby tends to like hard sciences, such as biology.

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There are other interesting differences as well. Abby doesn’t seem to have any problems drinking coffee while Brittany develops a racing heart if she consumes caffeine! Isn’t that rather interesting?

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The Pair Lead a Normal Life Together

Overall, it is the differences between Abby and Brittany Hensel that keep their lives interesting. Despite this, they have been able to lead somewhat normal lives. They have figured out how to study on their own.

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They also have jobs. They even have social engagements from time to time. On the other hand, the two do keep something from the public eye. They do not discuss whether they are in a relationship of any kind. That they decide to keep private.

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The Twins Have Made Plenty of Strong Friendships

Even if they do not talk about their significant others, Abby and Brittany Hensel have been able to form plenty of strong friendships that they take great joy in sharing! For example, the two enjoy traveling the world.

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When they travel, they do receive a lot of unwanted attention; however, like other areas of their lives, they have learned to deal with this effectively. They even have their own passports even if they share a seat on the plane when they fly!

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Abby and Brittany Get the Protection of Travelers

Fortunately, Abby and Brittany Hensel are great at making friends. When they travel from place to place, they often see others taking pictures of them as soon as they get off the plane.

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Even though they are vigilant for people snapping photos of them when they land, they usually travel with friends who watch out for them. Sometimes, their fellow travelers will even provide them with some protection from people who simply see them as a circus show, which is sad.

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Their Friends Always Look Out for Them

Sometimes, Abby and Brittany Hensel’s friends are willing to discuss what life is like as well. For example, a pal of theirs, named Erin, simply explained that she wants to make sure the twins are safe. Because they attract a lot of attention, not all of the attention is good.

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Even though Abby and Brittany are used to the attention they receive, some crowds can still be draining for them. Therefore, it is nice to have friends around who watch out for them!

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The Twins Are Amazingly Resilient People

Of course, Abby and Brittany are different from anyone else. Therefore, they do everything they can to make the world a better place. Unfortunately, they do receive a lot of unwanted attention. According to their friends, they have become incredibly resilient people.

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This means that the twins serve as a shining example to everyone else who might be different, yet they too can survive in this world. The twins have a lot of potential that they work hard to realize every day.

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The Twins’ Mother Is the Same as Any Other

If you were to ask any mother what she wanted for her child, she would likely say that she wants her child to be happy and successful. That is exactly what the twins’ mother wants as well. She simply wants them to be happy, healthy, and successful.

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Even though she keeps up with what her children are doing, she doesn’t pry like the rest of the world does. Instead, she simply wants her kids to check in with her occasionally. She only wants to know that they are okay.

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A Strong Family Bond

Despite the girls’ physical limitations, the twins’ parents have always been their biggest supporters and believers. The girls parents never stopped believing that Brittany and Abby would survive and grow up to be a very successful pair.

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The girls parents sacrificed a lot to take care of the twins and to encourage them to accept and cherish their separate personalities. The girls have openly discussed how they feel very blessed to have always had their parents unconditional love and support.

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The Twins Make Regular Appearances on TV

As a way to use their platform in a positive way, the twins make regular appearances on TV to share their stories. For example, the twins went on The Oprah Winfrey Show at just six years of age. Then, the twins landed on the cover of Life Magazine as well.

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This has only led to the international acclaim the twins deal with today. Even though it certainly took some adjustments, the twins have gotten used to the fame and deal with it well.

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Abby and Brittany Have Even Made a Documentary

When the girls were around 12 years of age, they decided to make a documentary of their life. The documentary was titled Joined for Life, and the documentary was a major hit! It turns out lots of people wanted to know what the girls’ lives were like as conjoined twins!

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Eventually, they went on to land another series about their lives, called Abby and Brittany, which aired on BBC. This was quite an experience for them, particularly at such a young age.

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The Twins Use Their Platform in a Positive Way

Even though the twins did have to think carefully about how they were going to use the platform, they wanted to show the world what it was like to live as conjoined twins.

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Even though the world watched with amazement, Abby and Brittany Hensel wanted to show their viewing audience that they lived a life that was just like everyone else’s even though they are never able to physically separate from one another. They enjoyed showing the world what they do.

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Abby and Brittany Lead a Fun Life

It is always interesting when people meet the twins for the first time! They expect to hear something unusual! In reality, the twins take great pleasure in letting people know that they do the same things as anyone else. They try to show that their lives are not that different from anyone else.

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Sure, the twins know that their conditions do complicate some aspects of their lives; however, they do enjoy a sense of normalcy, engaging in typical activities for their age.

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The Twins Attend Bethel University

The show covered a variety of topics as the twins grew up. The twins left home for the first time and attended Bethel University. After that, they both had to go out and get jobs. This is something that they did together as they would have to work together at all times.

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It was an opportunity for the audience to get an inside look at exactly what it was like to find a job as conjoined twins. Of course, it led to a unique college experience as well.

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Abby and Brittany Share a Future Together

Fortunately, the twins were both interested in the same topics. They both wanted a future in education. Even though they did think about specializing in different areas of teaching, they realized that they would have to study the same topic side by side.

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Out of all the options available to them, they decided to study elementary education. They wanted to work with kids at of formative age, which this career path afforded them. Now, what would the future hold for them?

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One Last Hurrah

Following their graduation from Bethel University, they Europe the twins decided to travel to Europe and visit their friends in England and Italy. The sisters showed off their adventurous side touring all the local spots on a moped.

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Believe it or not this was not Abby and Brittany’s first time traveling solo together far from home. The girls originally studied in Europe and even held a brief teaching stint in London. The girls deamed this trip their “last hurrah” before coming back and starting their full-blown career.

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The Twins Reveal Their Exciting News!

Of course, the entire series was leading up to a big reveal at the end. The show wrapped up in 2012. At the end, Abby and Brittany Hensel revealed the big news together. They ended up getting a job!

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Without a doubt, the job search was difficult, given their unique circumstances; however, the show went ahead and explained what the new position was for the girls. They were even finishing each other’s sentences as they talked about the future they would share together.

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The New Job Specializing in Elementary Math

After finishing their education, the twins got a job specializing in elementary school math! Together, they are going to teach separate math classes. They specialize in teaching math at the fourth and fifth-grade levels. Furthermore, the position they have taken is part-time.

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This means that they will have an opportunity to transition into their new roles together. Teaching is a challenging position for anyone. It may be more difficult for conjoined twins, and the twins are going to face these challenges as one.

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Their Mother Reflects on Their Decisions

Every kid has dreams and plays pretend when they are little. The twins’ mother reflected on their path to their current professions. When they were younger, the twins used to pretend that they wanted to be a pilot and a dentist.

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Ultimately, it turns out that this was relatively short-lived. Even though parents want to foster the dreams of their children, it turns out that Abby and Brittany have made the right career move for them and their futures.

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Abby and Brittany Hensel Embark on Their Future Journeys

Now, Abby and Brittany are excited to start their new journeys together, as they are going to impact the lives of children everywhere. Of course, their boss did have to call HR to discuss the hiring situation with them!

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It turns out the twins are going to split the salary of the part-time position together. Without a doubt, any child who is lucky enough to end up in one of their classes is going to learn not only math but life skills as well!

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Taking a Step Back

Following their college graduation and the conclusion of their TLC series, Abby and Brittany Hensel decided to take a step back from the public eye.

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This included the twins deciding to take a step away from their social media platforms as well. Neither Abby or Brittany have posted to any platform in just about seven years.

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Why Take a Step Back?

It is safe to assume the girls decided to take a step out of the lime-light because Abby and Brittany just want to live ordinary lives. This is completely understandable based off the fact spent much of their adolescent years in the public eye with heavy media coverage.

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The girls are reportedly doing very well and have adapted to their role as Mrs Hensel & Mrs. Hensel. Their strudents reportedly love them and everyone who gets the opportunity to be in their class is considered very lucky.

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Why Were the Twins Never Separated?

Due to Abby and Brittany’s shared vital organs (such as an enlarged liver, a bladder, a diaphragm, both reproductive and digestive systems, and intestines) as well as they fact that each twin controls one arm and one leg, separating them would be extremely difficult and dangerous.

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Due to the risks, Abby and Brittany’s parents decided that it would be best to not risk the twin’s lives, but have them live the lives they were born into.

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