One set of conjo
ined twins, however, has stepped out of the role of Freak and lead perfectly normal lives. I saw them on the TLC a few years ago and was fascinated by the fact that they were so normal! They are separate down to their navel, where their spines fuse into one, and they share the lower half. Each twin has control of her side of the body and they cooperate enough to bicycle, play soccer and piano, type, and even drive! It seems that 'normal' is what they are since that is all they have known, so it's normal for them. I checked for recent updates to find that they are now 18 and in college. They have two 'normal' siblings.When asked the awkward question in class, would I 'fix' my child if he/she were born different, I opted for no, in part because of the interview I'd seen with the Hensel twins. Had they been separated at birth, had their parents chosen to make them look normal, they would
not be able to do the things they do now. Many times when conjoined twins are separated, they do so only to sacrifice one twin to make the other look like everyone else. These girls' parents opted to keep them both, just the way they God made them. I like to think I'd be able to do that but it would be difficult since it's such an obvious abnormality. Unlike trans-gendered people who have both male and female parts, whose abnormal parts are generally kept from public view, conjoined twins have no way to hide their differences.Here is a 5 minute minidocumentary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkKWApOAG2g&eurl=http://xenophilius.wordpress.com/2008/04/10/peers-into-the-lives-of-two-headed-twins/&feature=player_embedded
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This is a remarkable story! I saw these girls’ story on a talk show (I can not remember which one) but it was moving. They had so much strength to go through each day with their uniqueness. If I was asked a question that deals with making my child fit the “norm”, I really would not know what to do because I haven’t actually been through that. But when you see this story and others similar to it, it makes you think of what God would do. This is a very tough issue to determine your child’s sex or to split conjoining twins because you have to consider so many aspects.
ReplyDeleteMy son had a CT scan today because his doctor suspected he had appendicitis (apparently it can spontaneously resolve, which I never knew!) When he went in for the scan, they had to give him an IV. The technician attempted to put the IV in his right arm. No big deal, right? For most people, but my son has a little "abnormality" about him -- he has a port wine stain birthmark that completely covers his right forearm, part of his hand, and a portion of his right shoulder. I'm not really sure why the technician thought this arm would be a better choice than the left arm because his birthmark completely obliterates the translucence apparent in people who do not have said birthmark. Needless to say, she did not find a vein and he ended up having to have the other arm stuck anyway. I say all this because I never give a second thought to his birthmark. To me, it makes him "unique" not "abnormal." Other children ask him about it and he shrugs and says "birthmark". (When he was smaller he used to tell people it was his tattoo and God had put it there) Every year when we go to the pediatrician for his physical, they (multiple doctors over the years) always ask if we want to have the birthmark surgically removed. I always say no. I like it :) My son isn't bothered by it. It causes no physical limitations. It is not "disabling." When I mentioned this to my boyfriend some time last year, he said he would have it removed. I was suprised and asked why and he said because other children would be mean. He thought it would be better for my son to conform. I think this is a popular philosophy in our culture. We must change that which makes us stand out to avoid being lopped into the abject.
ReplyDeleteI think your post is interesting because of the picture of the conjoined twins. I watched the special on them and they seemed so nonchalant about their "abnormality". Instead of seeing it as something strange, they embrace it and make it work because they have never known anything other than what they are. I wonder about other cultures and how things they consider normal our culture may not. The most prevelant example of this is other cultures and their take on clothing. Some cultures function with nudity as a perfectly normal thing whereas for us nudity is taboo. The idea of normal and not normal seems to be a cultural thing, and nothing more. Rebecca, saying that made me think of how you mentioned the way names have changed over time, gender wise. Normal changes everyday, which harkens back on today's class discussion with the visitor.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what everyone else has said, that even though these girls are "abnormal" by most standards, they lead a average life. When I saw them on this TV show they said that they are "normal" because this is all they've ever known. Seeing things like this really help me put things into perspective!
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