Starks Conjoined Twins
Conjoined Twins
Alexandra and Sydney Stark Conjoined Twins
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Emily Starks always knew she would have twins. What she didn't expect was for them to be joined at the base of the spine.
A former Miss Colorado beauty queen, Emily Starks became pregnant in the month of November 2000. At a routine doctor's visit, she has her first ultrasound to check up on her babies. Here was when they noticed that they were joined.
At first devastated, they decided not to abort the babies, having confidence that maybe their daughters can grow to have normal lives like other little girls. Because the doctors found that the twins did not share any vital organs, the twins chance for survival if separated were heightened. Because of the better chances of their little girls surviving they decided to go ahead with the separation operation when the babies were born.
However, they were scared of the fact that if anything went wrong, their daughters could wind up paralyzed for the rest of their lives since the operation involved the separation of the base of the spine.
And so the 11 hour operation went on as planned and two frightened parents wait for the verdict. Before the doctors could operate on the tailbone, they had to have girls' intestinal tract separated. Finally, the operation is finished.
The girls were successfully separated and they show signs of movement confirming there was no paralysis. The Starks are so happy to have two babies instead of one. When they saw the girls separated in two different beds for the first time, words couldn't describe the feelings they felt.
Now grown little girls, Alexandra and Sydney walk and talk and act silly. They are two normal girls ready for anything life gives them. But although they have come a long way, they have a long way to go.
The girls' parents show them videos of when the girls were just one. They don't fully understand yet that they were once conjoined but with time and maturity they will. Until then the Starks are one happy family and it seems now that nothing can break them apart.
For more information on Emily and her daughters please visit her site at www.emilystark.com
