The world's oldest conjoined twins have died at age 68. Ronnie and Donnie Galyon, of Beavercreek, Ohio, were in hospice care when they passed away from natural causes on July 4, ABC News reported.
The brothers were born joined at the abdomen on Oct. 28, 1951. By the time they turned three, their father decided to take them to join the carnival as a way of supporting his family of nine children.
For decades, the twins traveled around Canada and the U.S. with Ward Hall's infamous "World of Wonders," according to the Daily Mail. It was here that they found a community that accepted them, and many friendships were forged.
"When we were on the road, it was all like one big family," Ronnie said to MLive in 2014.
The twins retired in 2011, two years after they suffered a massive health scare. Ronnie contracted a viral infection and developed blood clots on his lungs. Donnie also had the infection and their health took a massive knock. The twins additionally suffered from debilitating arthritis and required constant medical care. Their brother Jim gladly filled the position of looking after them.
"That's kind of giving it back right now. I don't do it because of that, but I feel that way," he told MLive.com in 2010. "They paid for us all growing up."
In 2014, Donnie and Ronnie made the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-surviving set of conjoined twins, surpassing the original title-holders, Chang and Eng Bunker, who were born in 1911 in Thailand and lived to age 62.
"It’s what me and Donnie’s always dreamed about, and we hope to get the ring, because we’ve dreamed about getting this since we were kids," said Ronnie at the time.
"We had fun when we were growing up," he added. Donnie agreed. "We've had a nice life."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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