This documentary on the conjoined twins Abby Hensel and Brittany Hensel is available for viewing as an internet video. I had seen short snippets about them for several years, but had never seen the whole story. At least the story up through their 16th birthdays. They will be turning 24 shortly, in 2014.
By the biological process that produces conjoined twins, they are naturally identical twins, genetically. So Abby and Brittany look and sound pretty much the same.
But as we know from observing any set of identical twins, they usually are quite different in personality, and that is true here too. Abby seems to be more outspoken, and has a greater desire to control things. But they have had to learn intimate and complete cooperation, for each one of them controls one arm and one leg. To just walk and get dressed each day requires this cooperation, plus more complex activities like running, playing softball, or driving a car.
In school they each take notes with their own arm, and each take tests. They are treated by teachers and schoolmates as two different people. Which they are, just sharing major portions of their body.
The documentary covers all this, within the framework of their family and their school. And at the end it muses about how they might fall in love, perhaps marry, perhaps have children. It can generate lots of questions. As the girls themselves say, "We are only 16, we don't need to worry about all the details yet." But maybe at 24!
Great documentary.
By the biological process that produces conjoined twins, they are naturally identical twins, genetically. So Abby and Brittany look and sound pretty much the same.
But as we know from observing any set of identical twins, they usually are quite different in personality, and that is true here too. Abby seems to be more outspoken, and has a greater desire to control things. But they have had to learn intimate and complete cooperation, for each one of them controls one arm and one leg. To just walk and get dressed each day requires this cooperation, plus more complex activities like running, playing softball, or driving a car.
In school they each take notes with their own arm, and each take tests. They are treated by teachers and schoolmates as two different people. Which they are, just sharing major portions of their body.
The documentary covers all this, within the framework of their family and their school. And at the end it muses about how they might fall in love, perhaps marry, perhaps have children. It can generate lots of questions. As the girls themselves say, "We are only 16, we don't need to worry about all the details yet." But maybe at 24!
Great documentary.
