The girls, now four, were born joined at the abdomen and shared part of their intestine.
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Rosie and Ruby were the conjoined twins who, back in July 2012, were given only a 20% chance of survival.
The four year old girls seen posing in their school uniforms are excited for the big day, and so are their parents.
“They want to be in the same class and stay together”.
“I was really, really, really scared and really upset because at that point I was told that there was a high possibility that the girls wouldn’t survive the pregnancy”. I didn’t prepare to bring them home.
Rosie and Ruby were born at University College, London, by caesarean section when Angela was 34 weeks pregnant. They weighed 2.2kg each. The twins were given a 25 per cent chance of survival when they were born sharing an intestine and needing an emergency operation, but thanks to the surgeons at London’s Great Ormond Street hospital the two survived. Angela says: “When I held them before the surgery I thought, ‘Is this the last time I will cuddle my daughters?'”
‘It was on-the-spot decisions as to what was to be done’.
The girls were immediately taken to Gosh for surgery.
While they have more surgery ahead of them in the future, they are “happy, healthy and excited about starting school”.
Surgery was a success and the girls were able to go home at just three weeks old. “The time has just flown by; I can’t believe how fast it has gone”.
The girls are now getting ready to go to school, something that the family didn’t think would ever be possible.
“They have met their teacher already, and won’t stop talking about her”, Angela said. “I’ve been looking forward to them going to school for so long”.
And another: “lovely little girls & devoted with a proud mum”.
We’re thrilled the girls are thriving and still share a special bond.
Over the past 30 years GOSH has treated 27 pairs of conjoined twins.
“It’s always a joy to witness patients progress and to hear that they are reaching new milestones, this makes the job we do all the more rewarding”, De Coppi said.
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