Joined as one from birth, the Hensel twins Abby and Brittany are among the most famous conjoined twins globally. What is their story, and where are they now?
Stars of their own hit TLC reality series, “Abby and Brittany,” are world-famous conjoined twins. Here’s a look into the twins’ lives and everything we know about them.
Who Are the Hensel Twins?
Abigail Loraine Hensel and Brittany Lee Hensel are American conjoined twins born March 7, 1990, in Carver County, Minnesota. Their parents are Patty, a registered nurse, and Mike Hensel, a carpenter and landscaper. They have a younger brother and sister and grew up in New Germany, Minnesota.
The twins attended Mayer Lutheran High School in Mayer and graduated from Bethel University, in St. Paul, in 2012. Due to their conjoined peculiarity, Abby and Brittany Hensel have received significant media coverage.
They first appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in April 1996. Later that same month and in September 1998, the two appeared in the now-defunct Life magazine. The twins also starred in their reality television series, Abby & Brittany, on TLC in 2012, which ran for a season.
What Type of Twins Are the Hensel Twins?
The sisters are conjoined dicephalic parapagus twins. This means they have two heads joined to one torso. This condition is rare, with an incident rate of about 11% of all conjoined twins. As a result, the case of the rare Hensel twins has piqued many people’s interest worldwide.
The twins are highly symmetric for conjoined twins. They appear to have a single body without marked variation from typical proportions. This is highly uncommon for conjoined twins. Also, each twin has a heart, stomach, spine, pair of lungs, and spinal cord.
They share all their organs from the waist down, and each twin controls one arm and one leg. The twins have had anatomical difficulties since birth and corrective surgeries over the years.
How Do the Hensel Twins Live Together?
Since each twin controls one arm and one leg, they have coordinated all their lives. When they were infants, learning to crawl, walk, and clap required a lot of teaching and cooperation. They can eat and write separately and simultaneously.
The twins can also do activities such as running, swimming, hair-brushing, playing piano or volleyball, riding a bicycle, or driving a car with much cooperation and coordination. This means they must make plenty of mutual decisions, and deciding what they want to do with their lives was one of these difficult choices.
Initially, the girls wanted to attend two colleges because they had their hearts set on different careers. But as they began planning for a life on two campuses, they realized the schedule would be too hectic. They had to decide on one college they could both attend.
Are the Hensel Twins Separated?
The twins are not separated, and they remain conjoined. The sisters share many vital organs, including an enlarged liver, a bladder, a diaphragm, reproductive and digestive systems, and intestines.
This makes it very unlikely for both girls to survive separation surgery. Abby and Brittany’s parents decided against the operation after learning that it was doubtful both girls would live through the procedure.
Are the Hensel Twins Married?
The twins are not married yet. Their relationship status is still single. They have never shared anything about their relationship life, but it has been speculated that having an active love life might be difficult due to their condition. It is not clear whether they are dating someone or not.
They hope they will one day have their perfect love story and have expressed an interest in dating, getting married, and even having children. Whether or not they would marry one person or each sister would marry a different man, the world would have to wait to see how that unfolds.
Where Are Abby and Brittany Today?
After graduating from college in 2012 and concluding their TLC series, the twins took up teaching as a profession. They also stepped away from the public eye keeping a shallow profile and trying to live everyday lives.
They continue to teach fifth grade at Sunnyside Elementary in New Brighton, Minnesota, to this day. Their students have been reported to love both twins completely.
Abby and Brittany have separate degrees and two teaching licenses. They previously explained that they share a paycheck. In 2018, Abby and Brittany revealed that the school that hired them offered them two contracts.
Since they were working part-time, they weren’t receiving a full salary. Their compensation was split, meaning Abby and Brittany each got half.
The twins continue living away from the media and are reportedly happy and healthy.