10-month-old Micaela and Abigail from California were born as craniopagus twins.
Their parents, Anatoliy Bachinskiy and Liliya Mirochnik, shared how they are adjusting after their twins were separated during a ‘1-in-a-million’ surgery.
Micaela and Abigail were born sharing a skull and brain on December 30, 2019.
They made headlines because of their very rare condition as the odds of being joined at the head are only 10 to 20 in every 1 million births in the US.
Fortunately, their doctors at UC Davis Children’s Hospital managed to separate them during a surgery on October 23 and 24.
Speaking to People, Liliya said: “The doctors were always saying one in a million. But I had a feeling because I saw God[‘s] hand through the pregnancy, so many miracles, like big miracles, you know? And I just knew that God’s taking care of this.”
Anatoliy added: “It took me a minute to hold them because they were so unique. You got used to them being together, and now you’re seeing two different girls, two different bodies and … it’s just amazing.”
Liliya continued: “It was very special. I was crying when I held them, tears were filling my eyes. When you hold them, if you have some worries [internally]… they just run away. I wasn’t heavy inside, I was so relieved.
“From day number one, you could tell their personality [and] who is the boss. Abi, she’s bigger and she’s more bossy. But Mika, she is more gentle… I think they will get along very well because they’re different and will complete each other.
“They love each other and you can tell, even when being separated right now. The first couple of days, Mika would reach her hand to find Abi and Abi was looking for Mika. That was so cute.”
UC Davis Children’s chief of plastic surgery Dr.
Granger Wong told Daily Mail about the rarity of the girls’ condition, saying: “Conjoined twins in and of themselves are rare and to have them joined at the head is even more rare, and to even have the favorable anatomy to be divided because sometimes shared too many structures is even rarer.
”
The surgery involved more than 30 people, including anesthesiologists, neurosurgeons, nurses, plastic surgeons, and pediatric surgeons.
But Micaela and Abigael also did extremely well.
“We have felt so much support from staff. We have received so much help, so much advice. It has made us feel at home here,” Liliya expressed.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section and SHARE this story with your friends and family!
Replaced!