Abigail and Brittany Hensel

Abigail and Brittany Hensel

You might have seen the documentary Joined For Life about them a while back on the Discovery Channel. I thought their parents were really neat, and their reason for particpating in the documentary made a lot of sense: That as they got older and travelled outside their normal world, at least some people might say "Hey, I saw you guys on TV", rather than just everybody staring at them. An amazing story of some very normal people.

Comments

[Friends of Precious People]

Well you are what you are as a person and everyone on this earth is unique. What people have to remember with conjoined twins is that yes they are physically shared with another person, but that's all it is - physical. The physical similarities are where it ends. As human individuals they are completely unique and special - the only one in the whole universe - just like every other human individual is the only one of themself. Every twin, conjoined or not is just as individual and unique as a person as everyone else. I don't think it is possible to ever lose one's individuality though. You are who you are from birth and (- as long as one has a sound mind) NOTHING can change that not even being conjoined to another person!

I personally think that Abby and Brittany are two of the luckiest people on earth - the total intimacy they have with one another is one of the most precious gifts there is and hardly anyone else has it. Imagine never knowing what loneliness is? - It is something that they should feel well and truly blessed for! I only know of only two sets of adult conjoined twins who ever wanted to be separated and who can blame all the others for not wanting it?

Brittany and Abby though really and truly are just two very ordinary girls in extraordinary circumstances.

This world I think is a better place with Abby and Brittany in it plus all the other conjoined twins - and a much more interesting one too.

[Jack]

When they go to a movie, do they each get charged? What about when they fly? Do they have two passports? Two drivers licenses? Do they ever fight?

[Friends of Precious People]

Yes Abby and Brittany do fight like any other siblings. In the Joined for Life video, Brittany's answer to this question was 'All the time!'

The difference is that Brittany and Abby have no choice but to work things out and come to a compromise - otherwise doing things would become impossible.

[Friend]

Just for the record, I am friends with the girls. The coolest chicks I have ever met. I have an idea, how about you guys just drop things. The girls are busy enough with school and sports, that they don't need this. They are living normals lives and thats why I love them so much.

[Melinda]

God has already blessed these girls and every person that comes in contact with them. My daughter use to tell me that I was different and I replied, "good, I like to be different." What is normal anyway in our society? I am also an ER nurse and I respect the parent's decisions they have made regarding their daughters. May Abigail and Brittany know there are many people world wide wishing them the best in all they do.

[Chris (Friends of Precious People).]

To 'Friend'. I just wanted to put my point of view across. You have to remember that whilst they may be just normal friends to you, that Abby and Brittany are famous throughout the world. They have appeared on several tv programmes and in several magazine articles. So it is inevitable to people will be curious and will want to talk about them. A few months ago however I couldn't find ONE place on the internet where everyone was talking about Abby and Brittany in a nice, respectful way and I was shocked and appalled by some of the webpages I saw about them where in at least three instances, someone put their picture on a page and encouraged others to write cruel and horrible comments about them. I thought 'Abby and Brittany don't need that!' So because of this I set up a moderated forum where people could talk about Abby and Brittany and since I started it there hasn't been a single insensitive or unkind message posted about them, just lots of very nice messages from people. It does also appear to have helped to change the attitudes of some people, which was what I intended.

However I have always said that if Abby and Brittany and their parents Mike and Patty Hensel don't want my forum and guestbook on the web all they have to do is ask me to remove them and I will cooperate fully. All the Hensel family have to do is get Will and Diane Degeraty at Conjoined Twins International to send me an e-mail so that I know it is from them and all my webpages and forums about them will be removed. However even if I and the owner of this particular weblog who also has respect for the girls, removes the webpages about Abby and Brittany off the web, you won't be able to stop people talking about them. People will just go elsewhere to unmoderated sites and you'll be back at square one will all the abuse and insensitive comments.

But as I said if the Hensel family themselves want all the webpages about Abby and Brittany removed, I will fully cooperate with their wishes. However I'm not going to remove them because of an anonymous posting here by someone claiming to be a friend. Thankyou.

[Jo]

BTW, I would like to say I was appalled at how people were stopping and staring at them. My 4 yr old pointed them out to me. After I explained to her that they are just twins who happened to be stuck together, my 4 yr old stopped staring. But the grown-ups didn't.
I'm sorry girls on behalf of my fellow Texans. I hope ya'll had fun here and do really well in life!

[Chris (Friends of Precious People)]

Hi Jo. It's nice that you saw Brittany and Abby. I guess those who stopped and stared at Abby and Brittany will have had a good look at two excellent examples of what it is like to be a normal human being - because clearly those who were staring aren't.

Two basic rules of etiquette if you are ever lucky enough to see Abby and Brittany:

1) If they can see you, wave to them both.

2) If they can hear you, say Hi! to each of them.

Don't stop and stare, because all you are doing is looking like a complete idiot, not just to Abby and Brittany but to every other normal person who can see you. If you stare YOU are the one who doesn't look or behave normal, not Abby and Brittany.

[Darrin]

My name is Darrin Wolsko. I'm a teacher of biology and human biology, and
I used to have a copy of Joined for Life that I showed to my students.
Unfortunately, a colleague borrowed my tape, and I have since switch
schools.

I will be teaching an upperclassman advanced biology course in the fall,
and I would really like to get a copy of this again. Sadly, I can't find
one.

I found the kids were amazed, and quite compassionate, curious, and really
acted like mature young men and women when I showed this in the context of a
biology course. I was wondering if anyone had a copy of this tape, and if so,
could you duplicate it for me? I will pay you for cost of materials and
shipping.

If you can't help me, could you possibly point me to someone who could?

I truly appreciate your time. Thank you very much. I found you surfing
the net.

Thanks very much for your time and consideration.
Please reply to my email address
Darrin Wolsko

dwolsko@patmedia.net

[Melanie]

I just watched the show here in Australia on the ABC about the Hensel Twins I just loved it, how absolutely wonderful they are. I am sure they are simply a joy and a blessing to there family.

[Tin]

Dear Abby & Britany,
Me too, I just saw you on TV in Australia. You touch my heart & I love you both. You two are wonderful!
xxxxooooo Tin

[Charlie]

I just watched the show here in Australia too, and likewise thought they but also their parents, teachers, friends, peers etc were all wonderful. I wish Abby and Brittany attitude to everything was a contagious disease! Realized the show was old, so was very concerned, hopeful and keen to find out if the girls were doing well. Fantastic to hear that they are and thanks to the blog organizer and the relevant contributors for this info!

[cam and reneae]

dude,i wish i was coinjoined with a twin becauase i think it would be fun and no, i dont think they are "freaks" they are normal human beings just like me & you

Posted by: Cameron c. on September 7, 2005 01:45 PM

hi im Cameron with my alias (you can call me zebra if you want) if you were a conjoined twin wouldn’t you get on each others nerves a lot imean i couldn’t spend a day stuck to my twin sister( yes i have a twin sister named reenae who is currently annoying me up the wall to get off the computer)oh and i didn’t right the one labeled "Cameron c." that was reenae when she’s being stupid and trying to make me look like a perv.

Posted by: Spitfire101 on September 7, 2005 02:34 PM

ya my stupid brother finally let me on the computer not to mention spell my name wrong {what a jeeeeeeeeerk!} and im mad at him and yes i did post the thing about cameron c.

Posted by: reneae on September 7, 2005 02:37 PM

does any one even respond on this site?!?!

Posted by: reneae on September 7, 2005 02:39 PM

[jack tabor]

Dear Abby & Brittany,
I hope the rumor that you are doing a pilot for a sitcom is true. I'd love to see you guys on that kind of weekly show if you and your parents had artistic control of the material. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Jack

[reneae]

i think that jack tabor kid is hot stuff!!!!

[Spitfire101]

dude im grounded for making reneae pay by shutting her in a closet and locking the door but luckily she letting me get on the computer down stairs without telling mom for once

[reneae]

i herd that!!!

[spitfire101]

sorry sis did not no you were on (my evil twin) besides im the bad speller and even i know that you spelled "heard" wrong

yes, thanks kids for typing inane messages back and forth.

after seeing the special, and gathering all of the information i could on the hensel sisters...i have to say that i really do get genuinely sick of all of you pretentious people who keep reiterating how "special" (and yet "normal") these girls are and how people are rude for staring and typing horrible things on the internet, etc. i mean, are you honestly surprised? it's human nature to be curious, it's human nature to be afraid of the strange and abnormal...and thus be ignorant of it.

"Hi Jo. It's nice that you saw Brittany and Abby. I guess those who stopped and stared at Abby and Brittany will have had a good look at two excellent examples of what it is like to be a normal human being - because clearly those who were staring aren't."

give me a break. people are just curious. sure people have no tact, but welcome to reality. the hensels have lived their whole lives like this. i'm sure they can deal with it. do you think they've never been teased? so some kids make fun of them on the internet, i doubt they care that much if they're even aware of it. they're going to go on living without you blowing rose petals and rainbows up their ass. if you want them to be normal stop putting them on a pedastal as some paragons of "god's blessings".

when i first saw the documentary i was utterly amazed. these girls are and will always be one of the greatest medical marvels of all time. this doesn't mean they're obligated to update anyone on their lives or to be celebrities...but that's the price of using fame as a tool for acceptance. people will always be curious and interested. i can only assume that the hensels' parents knew they would have to deal with the dark side of celebrity, but the immediate reality of public stares was worth making some of those people invested and understanding. the idea of two parents putting their conjoined daughters on national television then logging online and being horrified and surprised by juvenile comments is pathetic.

so give them some credit. if there's any truth to that sitcom idea...which i really can't even conceive of...i'd say go for it. atleast then they'd have the platform to really change some minds. i hope they're healthy/happy either way.

[David]

egh, that last post was by David. i forgot to enter any of the personal info... (check the posting times if you need any validation)

[Chris (Friends of Precious People)]

So it's o.k. for people to be cruel and make fun of them? I don't think so. It may be a symptom of human nature but that doesn't make it acceptable.

As for all the 'nice, fluffy stuff' I just wanted to balance things out a bit if nothing else. A few months ago it was all tipped against them. There was very little on the internet that was new, positive and constructive about Abby & Brittany. It's nice to see things now going the other way - the right way.

[Doug]

I saw these beautiful girls on a documentary about conjoined twins several years ago. By chance I saw another related program recently and it reminded me of them. Something told me to find out if they were still alive; in my ignorance I feared the worst given the profound nature of their conjoinment. I'm overjoyed to learn that they're alive and well, and moreover that the prognosis for their type of conjoinment is for long and relatively healthy lives. I'm literally in tears as I write this.

I do have some curiousity about their unique medical/anotomical features, and I'm wondering if Chris has any pointers to any information of that sort that's been disclosed publically. I'm talking about clinical information such as: do they have two sternums, do the twins each have an airway to the shared lung, are their senses completely divided or do they share some senses e.g. when their shared bladder is full, that sort of thing. Although I'm not a doctor, I could probably plod through something in a medical journal, should it exist.

[Emilia Liz]

I like to follow news about people whose physical appearance is outside the "norm," whatever that means. The Hensel twins are among them. But reading articles about them, I realize that in essence they're no different from anyone else.

Speaking of some other individuals somewhat "outside the norm," have any of you ever seen the people on this site: www.circusfolks.com/apub/main.html?

hi i amk doing research on siamese twins. i wold love to know more. i pray for your family and i think you guys are great

[LIZ]

I'm in England. i have just watched a programme about the little girl dubbed the "mermaid baby", and whilst i was looking for more information about her, i found out about Abigail and Brittany.

it is so nice to hear such positive feedback about the girls, and nice to hear such nice comments on this site.