December 15, 2016 - Mary and Samuel Ayeni hold their 1-year-old twins: Testimony, left, and Miracle, right, at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital on Thursday. The girls were born on November 16, 2015, in Enugu, Nigeria, as ischiopagus twins, meaning they were conjoined at the lower half of the body. The twins were separated in an operation at Le Bonheur on November 7.
(Yalonda M. James, The Commercial Appeal)MEMPHIS, Tenn. - One-year-old formerly conjoined twin girls from Nigeria are continuing their recovery at a Tennessee hospital.
The Commercial Appeal reports the parents of Miracle and Testimony Ayeni are delighted by their progress. Mary Ayeni said her daughters "eat whatever you put in front of them."
The girls were separated during 18 hours of surgery in early November at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis. The twins were born joined together at the pelvis, a condition that only occurs in one of about every 5 million births.
Dr. Max Langham, who led the surgical team, said the first few weeks afterward were a challenge for the twins.
Testimony remained in the intensive care unit longer and underwent additional surgery to address complications from an infection. Langham said both girls also had to wear devices that remolded their pelvises.
The girls can't walk or crawl yet. But Langham said doctors are optimistic they'll eventually be able to run and have active lives.
They're already becoming more vocal and animated.
"As they feel better, they're getting a little more bossy and opinionated, which is as it should be," Langham said.
Besides eating and squirming in their parents' laps, the girls spend time watching movies. During quiet times, they hold hands when placed in the same crib.
"The process of healing is so fast," said their father, Samuel Ayeni.
The twins have been in the hospital since their parents brought them from Nigeria in June to prepare for the procedure. There's no timetable on when they might return home.
"We will have them as long as they need to be here," Langham said.