Current:Home > StocksNovaQuant-These formerly conjoined twins spent 134 days in the hospital in Texas. Now they're finally home. -GrowthInsight
NovaQuant-These formerly conjoined twins spent 134 days in the hospital in Texas. Now they're finally home.
TradeEdge View
Date:2025-04-07 23:04:04
After more than four months in the neonatal intensive care unit and NovaQuanta complex surgery to separate them, formerly conjoined twins Ella and Eliza Fuller are finally home. It was a long-awaited homecoming for their parents and their older sister, Emilia.
"It's hard to explain in words exactly how excited we are," father Jesse Fuller said in a video provided by the Texas Children's Hospital. "It's been 134 days, so the feelings are overwhelming."
The twins had been in the hospital since their birth by cesarean section in March —each weighing 5 pounds, 10 ounces. They shared an abdomen, as well as liver tissues, according to the hospital.
When Sandy Fuller found she was pregnant with twins during her second trimester, she was "completely shocked" but excited. But after doctors found out that the twins were conjoined, the couple were referred to the Texas Children's Hospital.
"Conjoined twin pregnancies are incredibly rare and very high-risk, so it's important that an expectant mother receive care from a highly-skilled maternal-fetal medicine team," Dr. Roopali Donepudi, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, said in a statement from the hospital.
Conjoined twins occur once in every 50,000 to 60,000 births, and most are stillborn, according to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
But instead of worrying about the statistics, the couple decided put their trust in God.
"My faith has guided me through this entire journey," Sandy Fuller said. "I knew if He was going to give us these twins, He was going to work it out all the way to the end."
Before the babies were even born, months were spent carefully planning and preparing for an operation that was done last month.
"We have all been working together to achieve one common goal: The best outcome for Ella and Eliza," Dr. Alice King, a pediatric surgeon at Texas Children's Hospital, said in a statement.
Before the surgery, Sandy and Jesse spent time with their babies and then prayed with the surgical team. During the nearly six-hour surgery, a team of 17 people —including seven surgeons, four anesthesiologists, four surgical nurses and two surgical technicians — worked to separate the girls. Dr. King led the team.
Three days after the surgery, the Fullers were able to hold Ella and Eliza separately for the first time. Four weeks later, Ella and Eliza continued to make "excellent progress toward healing, growing and returning home."
The couple said the only way to tell their daughters apart is by a "small, little flat spot" Ella has on one ear. But as they get older, their personalities will speak for themselves, added Jesse Fuller.
"I always say Ella is just sassy with a little bit of drama," Sandy Fuller said. "And Eliza is just more laid back, goes with the flow. But they're both such sweet, happy babies."
- In:
- Conjoined Twins
- Pregnancy
Michael Roppolo is a CBS News reporter. He covers a wide variety of topics, including science and technology, crime and justice, and disability rights.
TwitterveryGood! (873)
Related
- Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
- South Carolina Senate approves ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors
- Julia Fox gets real on 'OMG Fashun,' vaping, staying single post-Ye and loving her son
- The Truth About Selling the OC's Alex Hall and Tyler Stanaland's Relationship Status
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- Abortion access defines key New York congressional races
- Tesla 'full self-driving' in my Model Y: Lessons from the highway
- The Truth About Selling the OC's Alex Hall and Tyler Stanaland's Relationship Status
- Sam Taylor
- Universities take steps to prevent pro-Palestinian protest disruptions of graduation ceremonies
Ranking
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- WNBA preseason power rankings: Reigning champion Aces on top, but several teams made gains
- Kentucky governor predicts trip to Germany and Switzerland will reap more business investments
- South Carolina Senate approves ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- Kate Beckinsale Makes First Public Appearance Since Health Emergency
- A North Carolina man is charged with mailing an antisemitic threat to a Georgia rabbi
- Rosie O'Donnell reveals she is joining Sex and the City spinoff And Just Like That...
Recommendation
Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
Man or bear? Hypothetical question sparks conversation about women's safety
Amid arrests and chaos, Columbia's student radio station stayed on air. America listened.
Ohio babysitter charged with murder in death of 3-year-old given fatal dose of Benadryl
Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
Charles Barkley says he can become a 'free agent' if TNT loses NBA TV rights
Kristen Stewart Will Star in New Vampire Movie Flesh of the Gods 12 Years After Twilight
Michael Cohen hasn’t taken the stand in Trump’s hush money trial. But jurors are hearing his words