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

[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.

[Krystie Lennon]

Hi, i came across this while looking intoa diferent type of conjoined twin adn remembers i has seenteh TV shoe Join for Life and was amazed at these girls. i hope they are well and happy

K M Lennon
UK

[Dalarson]

I just saw the 2002 Discovery Channel story "Joined for Life" . . . wow!!! I have never been so moved by ANY television report as I was in learning of Abby and Britty.

My first act when it ended -- I "googled" the girls and found this forum. And it is now bookmarked.

FYI -- I have been involved professional in resource development (aka fundraising) since 1975; and through the years have had the opportunity to see and be touched by a variety of heartwarming stories virtually every week. And still . . . nothing has touched me more than "Joined for Life."

Such marvelous parents, wonderful teacher, supportive coach,understanding principal, and caring physician . . . I left the program truly seeing two distinctly-different, perfectly normal individuals. I laughed at Britty's humor and felt for Abby's thoughtfulness. Such wonderful wonderful girls.

Is there any website, book, or video out there that completes their wonderful story since 2002? I would be interested to hear of their lives now that they turn "Sweet Sixteen" in just over a week. Please write to the address posted if you have such information. (dalarson41851@msn.com)

[Karen]

I, too, just saw a rerun of the TLC doc. Wow. And wondering how they are doing today, 5 years later. Very well, I hope. The entire family is inspiring and impressive as a family unit. I admire the parents who have strived to maintain normalcy in these exceptional girls' lives! KUDOS!

[Janice]

I just saw the show on The Learning Channel. I was so impressed by these 2 wonderful girls and their family. Being the parent of identical twin girls I can aquaint with them on the importance of fostering individual personalties for the girls. We worked very hard with ours to do that but their circumstances are so much more unique than any I could ever imagine and they have done an amazing job. These are 2 of the most well adjusted teens I have ever seen. Kudos to their parents for their patience and love and understanding. Also true, people will stare at them but then that is human nature and it seems to me that Abby and Britty are so well adjusted that they just accept that fact of their life. I would very much like to see an updated program on them since they are soon to be 16 a very interesting age to say the least.

[Joanne]

I first saw Abby and Britney on Oprah and fell in love with these girls. Being a twin myself, I understand the bond and closeness of twins.
These girls are a joy to watch, and people can learn from them.
I wish them all the happiness in the world and if I am lucky enough to ever meet them in person, I would tell them I think they are terrific girls. I can tell just from the documentary I saw as well as the Oprah show.
Mike and Patty are doing a wonderful job in raising them.

[Mark Checkley]

It is interesting how everyone seems to know how everyone else should behave if they meet these girls. I would suggest that they ARE unusual people, inasmuch as their physical configuration (fit, healthy, very-much-alive dicephalus) is pretty well unique in their generation. I suggest that anyone who met them UNEXPECTEDLY would be unable to avoid doing an INSTINCTIVE "double take" and staring for a moment. That's not cruel, that's not rude, that's not unkind. It's just a normal human reaction to the unusual.

From what we know, these girls are sensible, intelligent people, raised in a normal caring family. I am quite sure they know they are physically unique, and I doubt that they are very much put out by people staring.

Actually, the fact that the girls are "unusual" is "their problem" (if a problem it is at all) and not everyone else's. It is the girls who must learn to adjust, accept and deal with other people's not-unkindly-meant reactions to their unique status. I am quite sure they will. People, particularly young people, are very good at adapting to the consequences of their own peculiarities, and these girls have had a lifetime of practice.

So far as an acting career is concerned, we all have to exploit our talents and "unique selling points" to establish a career and make a living. These twin girls have many carer avenues closed to them by their dicephalus status; they have EVERY avenue closed which would, for example, require them to work separately.

If they elect to exploit the upside of their particular uniqueness (which, for heaven's sake, has a significant downside) to make a living in the acting profession, good luck to them I say. It is not society that will be exploiting them, but they who will be exploiting their own opportunity, as we all have to do in order to make our livings.

It's not sick, or perverse, or purient to be fascinated by the Hensel's physical and emotional situation. It's just normal human curiosity, and nothing to apologise for.

[Brandon]

I do agree that there should SOME sort of update on them. Everyone's just curious.

[Bonnie]

I was happy to find this forum... I work with children in Scotland and was very interested in their story on Reality TV... Since the film on them was from 2001~ I was very interested in how they were doing since then...
thank you,
bonnie

[Katherine]

Will their bodies be able to accommodate a pregnancy?

[Julia]

Following on from the above question, and an earlier one on aeroplane tickets etc,
What is their legal standing on marriage? (a man can't marry two women)
If they did have a child, who would be the mother on the birth cirtificate?

[Meredith]

Legally they are two people, they have separate birth certificates and separate social security numbers. Legally one man would marry one of the twins not both of them. As for the mother of the child; from a medical standpoint whoever's egg was released and fertilized would be the biological mother from a social standpoint who ever the father was married to would be the mother. i.e. if "Bob" married Abby but it was Brit's egg that was fertilized, socially, the mother could still be considered to be Abby. Legally to be considered Abby's child though there may have to be some sort of formal adoption proceedings.

[Taylor]

I am just wondering.. does anyone have new pictures of them? Are they 18-19 right now? They are my age I think. I just wondered. Seems like everytime I try to find out new stuff on them it all goes back to them from 6th grade.

[Coral]

Ariana, what kind of accusatory post is that? From what I've seen, all comments here have been mature, and respectfully not sh**. If the girls expect that no one should be curious and to speculate about them, well they are in for a surprise about human nature. There is no reason to delete a site that has kind, serious discourse on it.

[Michele]

Dear Abby and Brittany,
I think that it is so cool that you guys are siamese twins. I have seen pictures of you guys and it is so cool. You are so lucky in my eyes because you always have someone there to talk to and that. I think you both are so fascinating. It is nice to have a friend that sticks up 4 you like Ariana did. I want to email you guys and talk to you. Can you get back to me and give me ur screen names if you have some.
Love,
Michele Ayers

[Michele]

Dear Abby and Brittany,
I think that it is so cool that you guys are siamese twins. I have seen pictures of you guys and it is so cool. You are so lucky in my eyes because you always have someone there to talk to and that. I think you both are so fascinating. It is nice to have a friend that sticks up 4 you like Ariana did. I want to email you guys and talk to you. Can you get back to me and give me ur screen names if you have some.
Love,
Michele Ayers

[cheyenne]

i juss wanted to say that your story is amazing
most people like a kid in my class thinks its funny but its accually very interesting how do u guys swimm n juss agree on things??

[christina]

Finally found a website with somewhat update on the 2 girls. How fantastic to know you are 16. Wow....almost ready to graduate high school. How fantastic. Would love to know what future plans are. College? studies? how can you accomplish 2 schools of study in college...lots of work to me...Would love to see pic at how you have grown and how pretty you two have gotten. God has held your family in the palm of his hand. Many blessings to all of you. God made us all special and we all have something special to give to others. Your family has shown me love and patience. God Bless you

[Chris W]

"They have their licence"

Where they granted a single licence, or individual licences? How did they state treat their situation? Two individuals, each controlling one leg and one arm, one operating the brake, one operating the gas pedel, both of their hands on the steering wheel. Does the state treat them as two individuals each with one arm and one leg (which would make them "handicapped" by the state's standards) or as a single person? They are obviously not handicapped, as they don't seem to have any significant physical limitations, but as the state has never dealt with their particular condition before (as far as I know).

These are not particularly intrusive questions. It's reasonable to be curious how this was resolved, given that state Departments of Motor Vehicles are not know for their imagination.

[Emily Helgersen]

Sorry! I forgot to put my e-mail address. It's ehelgersen@hotmail.com.

[Margie]

We saw the documentary a few years ago and was so impressed with these girls.
Life for them is a happy place and we all can learn how precious life is.
I would feel bleesed know the girls.
God Bless

[plodski2004]

just wondering do people have some sexual fetish with these girls or what

don't think that i am being cruel but those who think of them as objects are sick nad disgusting

these two girls have allowed us to view themselves in their life and suddenly all these sick weirdos come out of the shadows and start thinking about them in an unsavoury manner

those people sicken me

oh by the way where can i get some new info on the girls as i live in australia and saw the "joined for life" documentry briefly and would like to know how the girls are going

good luck abigail and brittany

hope you prosper in life

[Kelli Curran]

I was looking for updated information, as a lot of people have, since the documentary on the Discovry Channel. I thought that they were amazing, smart, sweet girls and wanted to wish them all the luck. My son is also 16 and I know that with all the love and support they receive from there community they should be able to with stad all of the negatives in there life. (negatives being people who are just judgemental and cruel) I was just looking to see how they were doing as the last heard they were a bit younger. Sound like they have lots of friends! Have a happy one!

[Andrea]

I've founded in internet informations about Abby & Britty Hensel, and I tryed to found a way to contact they: there are a lot of Yahoo! groups, but I was not able to join anyone, can somebody help me?

[Amy Duncan]

I have seen you several times on the Discover channel and think you are two great girls. When there are so many people complaining about so much rubbish going on in thier lives, you guys just live it to your fullest.
Much love to you both!!!!!
Amy