Formerly conjoined twins go home after year in Philly hospital

Oct 10

Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), Brock Koller (Senior Producer), Ian Kennedy (Lead Video Editor)

It was a joyous sendoff at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia on Tuesday, Oct. 8, for twin brothers who were born conjoined. After an eight-hour surgery in August, the siblings were successfully separated and over a month later — just days after their first birthday — Amari and Javar Ruffin were able to finally go home with their parents and older siblings.

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The boys’ journey home began months before they were born when an ultrasound in the 12th week of pregnancy confirmed to their parents they were conjoined. Shaneka and Tim were told by a specialist to terminate the pregnancy.

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But the couple decided to go to CHOP for a second opinion. After going through a series of examinations, the hospital team told them that “things looked favorable for separation.”

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The boys shared the lowest part of their sternum, diaphragm, abdominal wall and liver. The boys were born on Sept. 23, 2023, through C-section and spent 10 months in the hospital preparing for surgery day. That came on Aug. 21, 2024.

A team of more than two dozen specialists, including surgeons, anesthesiologists, radiologists, nurses and many others, performed the eight-hour surgery to separate Amari and Javar. After the boys were separated their abdomens were closed and rebuilt using layers of mesh and plastic surgery techniques.

Each baby was also given a new belly button.

Conjoined twins are rare, with one occurring in approximately 35,000 to 80,000 births. Amari and Javar became the 32nd set of conjoined twins to be separated at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. CHOP said the boys will continue routine weekly follow-ups as they begin life at home with their family.

Tags: Children, hospital

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

IT WAS A JOYOUS SENDOFF AT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA ON TUESDAY FOR TWIN BROTHERS WHO WERE BORN CONJOINED.

AFTER AN EIGHT-HOUR SURGERY IN AUGUST – THE SIBLINGS WERE SUCCESSFULLY SEPARATED AND NOW OVER A MONTH LATER – JUST DAYS AFTER THEIR FIRST BIRTHDAY – AMARI AND JAVAR RUFFIN WERE ABLE TO FINALLY GO HOME WITH THEIR PARENTS AND OLDER SIBLINGS.

BUT THE BOYS’ JOURNEY HOME BEGAN MONTHS BEFORE THEY WERE BORN – WHEN AN ULTRASOUND AT THE 12TH WEEK OF PREGNANCY CONFIRMED TO THEIR PARENTS THEY WERE CONJOINED.

“We talked to the specialist. She called us. And the first thing that was said was to terminate. And once she said that then there are emotions everywhere because I’m already emotional, cause this is the same day.”

“There was nothing positive.”

AND IT WAS SHANEKA AND TIM’S NEXT DECISION — TO GO TO CHOP FOR A SECOND OPINION — THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY MAKE THIS WEEK’S HAPPY MOMENT POSSIBLE.

“The boys went through a series of examinations where everything was looked at from head to toe. Also a fetal echocardiogram for both, and then MRI for both..”

“So we told them that first day, things looked favorable for separation.”

AFTER ANALYZING THE TWINS – WHO SHARED THE LOWEST PART OF THEIR STERNUM, DIAPHRAGM, ABDOMINAL WALL AND LIVER – CHOP TOLD THE RUFFINS SURGERY WOULD BE POSSIBLE.

THE BOYS WERE BORN ON SEPTEMBER 23RD 2023 THROUGH C-SECTION AND SPENT 10 MONTHS IN THE HOSPITAL PREPARING FOR SURGERY DAY. THAT CAME ON AUGUST 21ST.

“Alright these are the Ruffin twins. On the right we have Amari who is Baby A, on the left we have Javar who is Baby B. These guys are from Philadelphia.”

A TEAM OF MORE THAN TWO DOZEN SPECIALISTS – INCLUDING SURGEONS, ANESTHESIOLOGISTS, RADIOLOGISTS, NURSES AND MANY OTHERS PERFORMED THE EIGHT-HOUR SURGERY TO SEPARATE AMARI AND JAVAR.

AFTER THE BOYS WERE SEPARATED THEIR ABDOMENS WERE CLOSED AND REBUILT – USING LAYERS OF MESH AND PLASTIC SURGERY TECHNIQUES.

AND EACH BABY WAS GIVEN A NEW BELLY BUTTON.

CONJOINED TWINS ARE RARE WITH ONE OCCURRING IN APPROXIMATELY 35 THOUSAND TO 80 THOUSAND BIRTHS. AMARI AND JAVAR BECAME THE 32ND SET OF CONJOINED TWINS TO BE SEPARATED AT CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA. CHOP SAYING THE BOYS WILL CONTINUE ROUTINE WEEKLY FOLLOW-UPS AS THEY BEGIN LIFE AT HOME WITH THEIR FAMILY.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR. DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP FOR OUR LATEST STORIES.