Conjoined twins have been successfully separated through an operation at a Dallas hospital over the weekend, bringing much joy to their parents.
Owen and Emmett Ezell were born July 15 conjoined from their hip bone to the breastbone, and they shared a liver and intestinal tract. Five days after the nine-hour procedure, the
6-week-old twins are reportedly in stable condition, ABC News reported.
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"It's the most wonderful feeling," the twins' mother, Jenni Ezell, said in a news conference. "I'm just so happy that they're here and that they're alive and thriving. It's the best feeling in the world for a mom."
Dr. Clair Schwendeman, a neonatologist treating the twins at Medical City Children's Hospital, told ABC that the twins have a 40 to 50 percent chance of survival, and added that she was "cautiously optimistic" for a full recovery.
"They're on some breathing support, but they've stabilized," Schwendeman told ABC.
The couple spent about nine hours in a private room with their two older sons and family members waiting for news during the operation.
Schwendeman said the twins are going to require additional surgeries, but at this point, the focus is on keeping the babies healthy and letting them heal.
According to Schwendeman, the chances of conjoined twins are one in 50,000 to one in 200,000. Odds for survival are typically low, depending on where they are conjoined.
Jenni Ezell has chronicled her experiences on
her personal blog. On the morning of the surgery, Ezell wrote about the feelings of uncertainty when she saw her children.
"I hope I never have to experience a moment like that again," she wrote. "I didn't know if I would see my babies alive again, if I would see only one, or if I would see them after they had gone to be with their creator."
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