Conjoined Twin Successfully Delivers Her Own Baby at the Same Hospital Where She and Her Sister Were Born

 Charity and Kathleen were born in 2000, with their bodies physically attached from their breastbone to their pelvis, sharing a third fused leg and several internal organs between them. Their birth made national headlines and they underwent a 31-hour surgery to safely separate the two babies and put them back together. The surgery was carried out by a team of nearly 30 doctors, nurses, and support staff. It was a complex surgery, and the babies' journey was followed by Dateline.

Dr. John Waldhausen, a Seattle-based pediatric surgeon, was one of the doctors who performed the surgery on Charity and Kathleen. He is widely known for separating several sets of conjoined twins. In the years since the surgery, Waldhausen has stayed relatively close with the conjoined twins. When Charity learned that she was pregnant, she immediately got in touch with the doctor.

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According to the University of Minnesota, conjoined twins occur once every 200,000 live births. About 70% of these cases are biologically female. Scientists believe that this conjoined phenomenon occurs when a single fertilized egg fails to separate completely as it divides, thus resulting in twins that are physically connected to one another at some point on their bodies.

Because of her medical history, Waldhausen expressed concern about Charity's pregnancy, as he was unsure if her body was physically capable of carrying a child. “I didn’t know if her abdominal wall reconstruction was going to allow her abdomen to expand in such a way that a baby could grow,” he explained.

But after consulting with other doctors and paying close attention to Charity throughout her pregnancy, she successfully gave birth to her 34-week-old daughter via C-section at the same Seattle hospital where she and her twin underwent surgery 21 years earlier.

“It feels like full circle, since my mom had us here and everything,” Gutierrez-Vazquez told Erin McLaughlin on the Today Show.

Dr. Edith Cheng, who oversaw Charity's pregnancy, said, “Charity’s case really is the full obstetrical circle. This howling girl this morning, at almost 34 weeks, that is a true triumph, to get this baby to almost term. This baby’s healthy.”

Waldhausen said, “When you’re involved with an operation like that, you’re really hoping that you can create a whole lifetime for somebody, and then to see this happening, this really comes full circle, so this is a great day for all of us.”

Charity's pregnancy and delivery were not without complications. Although the newborn was initially taken to the NICU for supplemental oxygen, both Charity and her daughter are in stable and good condition.

“I wouldn’t call it a miracle,” Waldhausen said. “I would call it a medical triumph.”

Conjoined twins are an extremely rare occurrence, and many do not survive. For those who do, there are often physical and medical complications that can last a lifetime. Charity's successful pregnancy and delivery are a testament to the advances in medical technology and the skill of the doctors who have cared for her throughout her life.

Charity's birth and surgery were followed by millions of people around the world, and her successful pregnancy and delivery are just as inspiring. She and her twin sister Kathleen have been through an incredible journey, and now Charity has become a mother herself, a medical triumph that highlights the resilience of the human body and spirit.