Abby and Brittany Hensel, renowned as conjoined twins, first captured the nation's attention when they appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 1996. Recently, Abby, one half of the duo, achieved a significant milestone by getting married.
The sisters later starred in the uplifting TLC reality series "Abby and Brittany," which showcased their daily lives, including activities like driving, traveling to Europe, and even riding a moped.
The show concluded after one season, with Abby and Brittany graduating from college with degrees in education.
A lot has happened since then. Abby, now 34, married Josh Bowling, a nurse and United States Army veteran, in 2021. Abby, a teacher, and Josh reside in Minnesota, the twins' birthplace and hometown. Both sisters currently teach fifth grade.
Abby and Brittany are dicephalus conjoined twins, sharing a bloodstream and all organs below the waist. Abby controls their right arm and leg, while Brittany controls the left.
When the twins were born in 1990, their parents, Patty and Mike Hensel, opted against separation surgery due to its high risk. Approximately one in every 200,000 live births result in conjoined twins, with about 70% being female, and most are stillborn, according to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
In a 2003 documentary, Patty Hensel mentioned that her daughters were interested in having children one day. Despite the challenges, the twins remain optimistic about the future.