Parents Throw Baby Shower For Their Formerly Conjoined 6-Month-Old Twins To Celebrate Being ‘Home With Family’

May 02, 2023

Having kids will always be a blessing to parents, regardless of whether the babies were born with a specific medical condition or not. Kids born with medical conditions, though, can sometimes pose different challenges to parents, including financial problems, especially those that require or need to undergo a medical operation. But more than that, the possibility of the baby making it or surviving after an operation could bring about more challenges. This includes babies born as conjoined twins who are physically connected to each other.

Conjoined twins sometimes share organs or parts of the body, which means they often need to undergo an operation right away in order for them to survive, according to the Mayo Clinic. Then again, it’s not always guaranteed that the babies will survive, as one or both could be stillborn or could even die shortly after their birth.

But two conjoined twin girls successfully beat the odds and were given new lives after they were successfully separated at the start of 2023.

In January 2023, 16-week-old sisters named AmieLynn Rose Finley and JamieLynn Rae Finley from Saginaw, Michigan – who were joined from their breastbone down to their belly button – became the first conjoined twins successfully separated by Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas.

Amanda Arciniega and James Finley, the parents of the twins, found out that their babies had little to no separation between them when they went for their 10-week ultrasound. Then, they were told that they were having conjoined twins following another appointment.

“I would not have thought in a million years that I would have twins,” Amanda said. “And then conjoined twins on top of that." 

But instead of losing hope, they went to a few specialists to seek advice for the best possible options. 

The couple then saw a glimmer of hope after they were told that their babies each had their own heart and a heart sac. That meant their babies had higher chances of survival. They were then made candidates for separation.

In October 2022, AmieLynn Rose and JamieLynn Rae were born at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth.

Born as omphalopagus twins or “babies joined at the abdomen and sharing one or more internal organs,” according to Middlesex Health, the adorable babies laid face-to-face and shared a liver. More than three months later, they finally entered the operating room and underwent the process of separation as twins.

It took 11 hours with a team of 25 medical professionals, including six surgeons, to make the successful operation happen. Calling the moment “rare” and “groundbreaking,” it was the first time Cook Children’s Medical Center successfully separated conjoined twins.   

The lead surgeon for the operation, José L. Iglesias, M.D., said he believes the babies will grow up “independent” and “feisty” based on what they have demonstrated throughout the whole process.

"They're going to grow up into the little girls they're supposed to be. Independent and feisty, as they've already shown us they are," he said.

After he was told that the operation was a success, the father, James, said: “We did it ... I don’t know what I did, but we did it.”

Soon after, James could already identify the difference between his two twins, as he said: "JaimeLynn is the spunky one. AmieLynn is always laid back.”

According to a report by NBC 5 Dallas – Fort Worth, Amanda and James said they were “overjoyed to reunite with their girls and see them in their separate cribs, laying on their backs for the first time on Monday evening."

In April 2023, Good Morning America reported that both babies were finally home. At 6 months old, AmieLynn was released from Cook Children’s Medical Center about one month after her formerly conjoined twin sister JamieLynn was sent home. According to ABC News, AmieLynn had been kept back in the hospital after her sister’s release for additional monitoring.

It’s not surprising that the twins’ parents would want to celebrate the homecoming occasion. While most people throw a baby shower prior to their baby being born, Amanda and James opted to host one after both of their daughters were home, safe and sound.

A crew from Good Morning America attended the heartwarming event and captured all the precious moments the family had with the twin girls. James revealed that it took about a month before he and Amanda were able to hold their kids following the separation surgery. “They still have a lot of therapy, so we’re not quite done yet,” Amanda added.

Seeing the footage of the parents cradling their kids was even incredibly moving. Joining in on the happy celebration was Brianne Galban, one of the nurses who had watched over and taken care of the twins when they were in the hospital.

“I’m so excited to see them, meet all their family,” Galban said. “I love them now. They’re like part of my family.”

Although the girls have a long road ahead of them, their mom couldn’t be happier to have them home, where they belong. "Out the hospital, home with family. So everything’s good," Amanda said.

Are you happy to know that the conjoined twins successfully separated? Let us know what you think, and pass this on to your family and friends who might feel inspired to read this story!