The world mourns the loss of the oldest known conjoined twins, Lori and George Schappell, who both passed away at the age of 62 in their Pennsylvania hometown.
Born on September 18, 1961, in Reading, Pennsylvania, Lori and George shared a rare connection, being conjoined at the skull while having separate bodies. They were linked by 30% of their brains and essential blood vessels.
Their incredible life journey came to a close on April 7 at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, as noted in their obituary. The specific cause of their passing has not been revealed.
George, who lived with spina bifida, used a mobility device for assistance, while Lori facilitated their movements by pushing and guiding his rolling stool. Their form of conjoined twins is exceptionally rare, affecting only about 2% to 6% of cases of congenital twins, according to NBC Today.
In a landmark moment for their lives, George transitioned in 2007, making them the first same-sex conjoined twins to identify as different genders, as recognized by Guinness World Records. During their trip to London in 2011 to celebrate their 50th birthday, George shared insights about his journey with The Sun, stating: “I knew from a very young age that I was supposed to be a boy”.
Both Lori and George completed their education at the Hiram G. Andrews Center and later worked at Reading Hospital. Despite their physical connection, they each pursued their own passions and hobbies. George followed his love for music as a country singer, captivating audiences globally, while Lori thrived as an accomplished bowler.
Remarkably, the Schappells enjoyed an independent lifestyle since turning 24. Initially, they lived in a care facility, then transitioned to a two-bedroom apartment where they each had their own space. They highlighted the significance of privacy, emphasizing that even with their physical bond, they found ways to enjoy solitude when needed
“Would we ever separate? Absolutely not”, George stated in a 1997 documentary: “My theory is, why fix what isn’t broken?”
Lori echoed this sentiment in a 2002 interview with the Los Angeles Times, saying: “I don’t believe in separation”. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Lori and George during this challenging time.
No one shows up for 6-year-old’s birthday party – then mom shares picture and the community steps up
It was meant to be the best day of Teddy’s childhood, but for him, it turned out to be a horrible one.For his sixth birthday, his parents planned to take him to Disney World or Lego Land, but he wanted to spend it with his friends.
Teddy’s mother picked out a table at Peter Piper Pizza about two weeks before the big day, and she gave Teddy’s teacher thirty-two invitations, asking her to distribute one to each student in the class. More than half of the child’s parents said they would bring their children to the celebration.
On Teddy’s birthday, Teddy’s mother Sia made gift bags for her son’s friends and placed an order for a large pizza. Despite everyone’s expectations that it would be an absolute blast, not a single student spoke up. After more than sixty minutes of waiting, the friends were no longer visible.
After this, Sia was crushed. She was heartbroken for her son, who was having a truly trying day on what ought to have been a fun one.
“To be honest, I was a little let down,” Teddy’s father told the New York Post. Teddy thought it was unfortunate that they hadn’t arrived an hour into the festivities since, in his opinion, it was what mattered most. In an attempt to cheer up their son, the parents tried to distract him with activities like arcade games.
Sia made the decision to take a photo of Teddy and share it online with the goal of spreading awareness that anything similar should never happen to anyone. But she had no idea that Teddy’s melancholy photo would go viral and attract so much attention. She even felt bad about sharing it after realizing how much attention it received.
Hundreds of individuals emailed Teddy birthday greetings, and many of them included gifts. To make Teddy’s day a little bit better, the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Rising MLS team invited the family to their upcoming games.
On behalf of all the other parents who chose not to bring their children to the celebration, only one parent expressed regret to Sia.
Even though this story disappointed us, it should serve as a reminder to be more deliberate and thoughtful.
For further information about the story, view the video below.
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