Conjoined Twin Sisters Abby and Brittany Hensel: Where are they Now?

Abigail and Brittany Hensel took their first breath in 1990 as a pair of twins. These twins were a little different from others – They were conjoined. The rare case of conjoined twins caught them in a lot of limelight. They share a body but have different heads. Ever since their birth, their story has been covered by several magazines and media houses worldwide.

What are Conjoined Twins?

Conjoined twins are two babies born physically and connected to each other. They develop when an early embryo only partially separates to form two individuals. Although two fetuses develop from the same embryo, they remain connected at the different parts of their bodies, at the pelvis, abdomen, and chest. Conjoined twins may as well share one or more internal organs.

Many conjoined twins are not alive when born or stillborn. Some of them even die shortly after their birth. But the recent advancements in medical science have improved their survival rates. The doctors may perform surgeries to separate their bodies from each other.

The parents of Abby and Brittany gave a cold shoulder to this suggestion as it was risky. The sisters have become the most famous conjoined twins worldwide. They first appeared on television at the famous Oprah Winfrey Show. Back then, they were only six years old, trying to coordinate their shared body.

Here’s everything to know about the twin sisters.

Early Life of Abby and Brittany Hensel

Abigail, also known as Abby, and Brittany were born in 1990 in Minnesota and were raised by both parents in the same city. They graduated from the Mayer Lutheran High School in 2008. Afterward, the conjoined twins attended Bethel University in Arden Hills, Minnesota. They majored in their education from the said university.

The twins became college graduates by 2012 and entered the next and essential phase of their lives – their adulthood.

The sisters share many vital organs, including a bladder, an enlarged liver, a diaphragm, digestive systems, reproductive systems, and intestines. Each twin controls one arm and one leg that requires a lot of cooperation to complete their day-to-day tasks like running, walking, or driving a car. They were found saying that their body has been divided by a red line. One controls the left, and the other controls the right. They need to work together to be able to move properly.

The First TV Appearance

The world first saw Abby and Brittany in 1996, when the renowned celebrity, Oprah Winfrey invited them to her show. The little girls talked about their school life and shared other details of their daily routine.

They were also seen in several documentaries – Joined for Life, Extraordinary People: Twins Who Share a Body, and Abby and Brittany: Living in One Body, to name a few. Both the females used the medium of these documentaries to talk about their daily lives and how they learn to live fulfilling lives having different interests and passions. Abby loves solving math, while Brittany is a born writer and is often seen penning down notes in her diary.

From Twins to Famous Celebrity Twins

The twins lived their early life unnoticed by many. It was only a few articles and news segments that highlighted their condition and made this medical condition the topic of discussion. It was during their teen life that both the girls became famous. Many people looked forward to knowing about them in detail.

After the success of that one episode on the Oprah Winfrey Show and several television documentaries, the twin sister made a big announcement. They introduced their own reality show, Abby and Brittany, on TLC. The 8-episode show aired in 2012 and earned the twins a great fan base. So many people continued to love and admire the liveliness of both the sisters. The series documented the life events of both the sisters, like graduating their college, traveling to Europe, and finding their first job. Unfortunately, the show didn’t last long and went off-air.

Where are the Hensel Sisters Now?

In many ways, the conjoined twins were seen enjoying a perfectly normal life. They attended school, graduated college, and were highly social. They have a supportive family and friends. Managing everyday life together and overcoming the challenges that it throws is not a problem anymore for them. They even passed their driver’s license test together and played sports during their college days.

As of now, the 31-year-olds live a quiet life in their hometown. It was reported that they work as teachers at a school.

Their school principal was quoted saying both Abby and Brittany are a great source of inspiration to young children. Before they secured jobs as teachers, the supervisor of the school asked their students to react honestly to the pair. The students reportedly said that both the teachers are a part of their classroom.

The supervisor also mentioned that both the sisters offer a unique learning experience to the students, something that the other teachers in the school cannot provide. According to him, “There’s no question in my mind that they will really change the world for the better and influence lives in ways that those lives myself as one person never really do.”

The school principal employed the sisters because of their qualifications and ability to inspire the students to work hard to fulfill their dreams. According to him, “I don’t think there’s anything that they won’t try or something that they couldn’t be able to do if they really wanted to. To bring that to children, especially kid who might be struggling, that’s very special, that’s learned through lived example”.

In general, the twins have been pretty open and vocal about their trials and tribulations in front of the media. However, there is one thing at which they prefer sealing their lips. According to them, their love life is private and their privacy should be respected by the media.

Abby and Brittany are real rock stars who have proved that no matter how hard life is, there’s always a way out. Their story is inspiring for one and all. We wish them the best life ahead.

My husband was determined to poison the raccoons that kept invading our backyard, but what they pulled from our trash left me completely shocked

My husband set poison traps for the raccoons that raided our backyard, but I couldn’t bring myself to agree. One night, they pulled something from the trash and I was curious. What I saw in the moonlight left me breathless and in tears.

“No, Kyle, please don’t hurt the poor thing!” The words tore from my throat as I watched my husband hurl a stone at a pregnant raccoon waddling across our backyard. The rock missed, thank God. And the animal scurried away, her movements clumsy with the weight of her unborn babies.

Kyle turned to me, his jaw set and knuckles white around another rock. “They’re pests, Josie. The sooner you understand that, the better.”

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to stop shaking. After fifteen years of marriage, you’d think I’d be used to his outbursts by now. But every time, it felt like a punch to the gut.

“They’re living creatures, Kyle. They’re just trying to survive.”

He scoffed, tossing the second rock between his hands. “Yeah, well, they can survive somewhere else. I’m sick of coming home to a war zone every day.”

“It’s hardly a war zone. It’s just some scattered trash.”

His eyes narrowed. “Don’t start with me, Josie. Not today.”

The raccoon problem, as Kyle called it, had started last spring. We’d wake up to find our trash cans knocked over and contents strewn across the lawn.

Once, they even climbed onto our deck and raided the leftover barbecue from my birthday party. I didn’t mind much. They were just hungry, after all.

But Kyle took it personally like the animals were deliberately trying to provoke him.

“I’m telling you, we need better locks for the cans,” I suggested one morning as Kyle angrily watched me scoop up the scattered garbage. “Maybe some chicken wire around the garden too. My sister Jane says that worked for them.”

“I don’t care what your sister says. What we need is to get rid of them. Permanently.”

I remembered when we first met, how his spontaneity had seemed charming. Now, at forty, that impulsiveness had morphed into an iron-fisted need to control everything, including me.

“Kyle, please. Can’t we try the peaceful way first?”

He jabbed a finger at me. “You always do this, Josie. Always trying to make everything complicated when there’s a simple solution right in front of us.”

“Simple doesn’t always mean right.”

He slammed the broom against the side of the house. “What was that?”

I flinched. “Nothing. I’ll look into better trash cans today.”

That weekend, I found Kyle in the garage, assembling something metallic.

“What’s that?” I asked, though I already knew. Animal traps.

He didn’t look up. “Insurance. These smart traps will catch anything that comes near our trash.”

“Kyle, please. They could hurt them.”

He slammed down his screwdriver. “That’s the point! I’m so sick of you defending these disease-carrying vermin. You act like they’re some kind of pets.”

“They’re not pets, but they don’t deserve to suffer. Maybe if we just—”

“Maybe if we just what, Josie? Let them take over? Build them a guest house while we’re at it? I’ve had it with your bleeding heart routine.”

I felt tears welling up but forced them back. “Why does everything have to be solved with violence? They’re just hungry animals, Kyle.”

He stood up, his face red. “You want to know what I think? I think you care more about these pests than our home. Than me.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Isn’t it? Every time I try to solve a problem, you fight me. The raccoons, the neighbor’s dog that keeps barking all night, even that group of teens that hangs out by our fence.”

“Those are all living beings, Kyle. Not problems to be ‘solved.’”

“This is my house!” he yelled, making me jump. “I work every day to pay for it, to keep it nice, and I’m not going to let some animals destroy it while my stupid wife takes their side!”

When the raccoons started showing up again this spring, Kyle completely lost it.

That evening, I was folding laundry when he stormed in, waving a piece of paper and grinning like he’d won the lottery.

“You’ll never guess what I found at the hardware store. Industrial-grade pest control. Guaranteed to solve our little problem.”

I took the paper. It was a receipt for animal traps and some kind of poison. My hands started trembling.

“Kyle, you can’t be serious. That stuff could kill them!”

He snatched the receipt back. “That’s the point, Josie. God, sometimes I think you’re being dense on purpose.”

“But what if neighborhood cats get into it? Or someone’s dog? We could get in trouble.”

Kyle’s face darkened. “I’ve made up my mind. The raccoons are gone by the end of the week, one way or another.”

I spent that night tossing and turning, my mind racing. When did the man I married become someone who could so casually talk about killing innocent creatures?

I thought about calling Jane, but I already knew what she’d say. She’d never liked Kyle and always said there was something off about him. Maybe I should have listened.

The breaking point came on a quiet Tuesday night two days later. I was reading in bed when I heard rustling outside. Peering through the window, I saw one of the trash cans had been knocked over again.

I slipped on my robe and grabbed a flashlight. As I approached the mess, something caught my eye. It was a black garbage bag, partially open, with something moving inside.

My hands trembled as I reached for it. “Oh no. No, no, no…”

Inside were three tiny raccoon babies, barely old enough to open their eyes. They were squirming weakly.

“Kyle!” I screamed, cradling the bag close. “Kyle, get out here right now!”

He appeared on the porch, looking annoyed. “What are you yelling about? It’s the middle of the night, you crazy woman!”

“Did you do this?” I held up the bag. “Did you throw away baby animals like they were garbage?”

He shrugged. “They’re pests. I’m handling it.”

“Handling it? They’ll die!”

“That’s the point, Josie. Jesus, why are you so naive? They’re just raccoons!”

“Just raccoons? They’re babies, Kyle! Living, breathing creatures that feel pain and fear. How would you feel if someone threw you away to die?”

He laughed, a cold sound that made me shiver. “Now you’re comparing me to a raccoon? How dare you, Josie?”

“I’m comparing you to someone with empathy, and you’re coming up short.”

Kyle stepped closer, his voice a chilling growl that made my blood run cold. “You know what your problem is? You’re soft. Always have been. The world isn’t some fairy tale where we all just get along. Sometimes you have to be tough.”

“Tough? There’s nothing tough about hurting something weaker than you. That’s just cruel.”

I looked at him and wondered how I’d never seen the cruelty that had always been there.

The next morning, I called every wildlife rescue in the area until I found one that could help. A kind woman named Marla showed me how to feed the raccoon kits with a tiny bottle.

“You’re doing great,” she assured me, watching as I cradled the smallest one. “They’re lucky you found them when you did.”

As I watched the kit suckle eagerly, tears rolled down my cheeks. “I just don’t understand how someone could be so cruel.”

Marla squeezed my shoulder. “Sometimes the animals we save end up saving us too.”

That evening, I found Kyle’s journal and a detailed plan for dealing with the “raccoon infestation.” It included poison locations, trap placements, and even a schedule. The methodical cruelty of it made me sick.

When Jane arrived, she saw the journal in my hands.

“Still think I’m overreacting?” I asked, showing her the pages.

She shook her head. “Josie, this isn’t about raccoons anymore. Maybe it never was.”

“I know,” I whispered. “I think I’ve always known.”

The divorce papers were served a week later. Kyle didn’t seem surprised, just angry. As always.

“You’re really throwing me out over some pests?” he spat as he packed his things into boxes.

I stood my ground in the doorway of what was now my house alone. “No, Kyle. I’m ending this because of who you’ve become. Who you’ve always been, maybe, and I just didn’t want to see it.”

Days turned into weeks. The raccoon kits grew stronger.

The smallest one was shy and always hid behind his siblings. The middle one was curious about everything. And the biggest was protective, always watching out for the others.

Marla helped me release them back into the wild when they were ready. As we watched them toddle toward the treeline, I saw movement in the bushes. There, watching us, was their mother.

“Look,” Marla whispered. “She came back for them.”

The mother raccoon chittered softly, and her babies ran to her. Before disappearing into the forest, she turned and looked right at me. In that instance, I felt a connection to something larger than myself. Compassion.

“You know,” Marla said, “there’s an opening at the rescue center if you’re interested. We could use someone with your kindness.”

I smiled, feeling lighter than I had in years. “I’d like that.”

“You know, Josie, you can tell a lot about a person by how they treat animals. They’re like a mirror that reflects our true selves.”

Looking back, I realized the raccoons hadn’t just been victims of Kyle’s cruelty. They’d been my wake-up call. Sometimes it takes seeing someone else’s vulnerability to recognize your own.

As the raccoons disappeared into the trees, I took a deep breath and felt ready for a fresh start. I knew I deserved better, and that someday, I’d find the right person who saw the world with the same compassion I did.

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