Charity and Kathleen Lincoln were born on February 21, 2000, in Seattle. Their case was extremely rare: the girls were connected from the chest to the pelvis. They had two torsos but shared internal organs – liver, intestines, and pelvic organs.

In addition, a third, underdeveloped leg was attached to their bodies, which they could not use.

The twins’ birth was a challenge for the family. Doctors immediately understood: to give the girls a chance at a normal life, they needed to be separated.

However, the operation was extremely risky – both due to the complex anatomy of their bodies and their young age.

When Charity and Kathleen were about seven months old, a team of thirty specialists at Seattle Children’s Hospital took a historic step.

For 31 hours, surgeons, orthopedists, urologists, and anesthesiologists worked to separate the sisters, restore the organs, and redistribute tissues.

Each girl received one leg and a separate intestinal tract. The outcome was successful: both survived and gradually began to recover.

After the surgery, their life was not easy. Numerous rehabilitation procedures, medical monitoring, and constant parental support were required.

But the sisters grew up, went to school, and managed to adapt. In their teenage years, they lived almost a normal life, despite the limitations left by the surgery.

The year 2021 was particularly symbolic. Charity, now an adult, gave birth to her daughter Alora at the same Seattle hospital where she and her sister had been separated twenty years earlier.

Moreover, Dr. John Waldhausen, the surgeon who participated in their life-changing operation, was once again part of her medical team.