A pair of 2-year-old conjoined twins have seen each other face to face for the first time following a successful separation surgery at a children’s hospital in St. Louis. The twins, named Hiyab and Wuhbto, were born in Ethiopia with a rare condition called craniopagus, where they were united at the head in opposite directions. This condition accounts for less than 6% of conjoined twin cases, with only one occurrence in every 2.5 million live births, according to the National Library of Medicine.
For nearly two years, the sisters heard each other’s voices without ever seeing each other’s faces. Remaining conjoined posed serious risks to their long-term health, as stated by SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. The twins made the journey from Ethiopia to Missouri in 2025, accompanied by a guardian because their parents could not obtain visas. The hospital coordinated with a global network of pediatric specialists and charitable organizations to make this possible.
Nearly 30 medical experts spent almost a year meticulously planning the operation. The surgery, performed in February, lasted 25 hours. Surgeons worked to separate shared blood vessels carefully. Dr. Joanna Kemp, who led the surgical team, is the first female neurosurgeon in the U.S. to undertake such a procedure. Although the twins’ brains were mostly separate, there were some areas that required intricate planning due to fused tissues.
Kemp described the moment when the girls were finally separated as “quite wild.” The twins have reached a significant point in their recovery, with Wuhbto already undergoing a successful cranioplasty to repair her skull. An identical operation for Hiyab is scheduled for later this fall. The twins are currently receiving further care and rehabilitation at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital in Maryland Heights, Missouri.
The hospital has expressed its hope to reunite the girls with their family in Ethiopia soon.
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