Close Ad

Formerly Conjoined Twins Finally Go Home After Spending Their First Half Year in the Hospital
Formerly Conjoined Twins Successfully Separated After a 11 Hour Surgery
Uplifting News

Formerly Conjoined Twins Finally Go Home After Spending Their First Half Year in the Hospital

AmieLynn and JamieLynn Finley were born joined at the chest.

When the Finley family welcomed conjoined twins last year, they knew it was going to be a long time before they’d get to bring their baby girls, AmieLynn and JamieLynn, home. Still, they never gave up hope they’d get the happy ending they prayed for.

Conjoined at Birth

man and woman holding two baby girls in their arms
Courtesy of Cook Children’s Medical Center

The girls were born in October 2022 in Texas. They were joined at the chest and shared a liver. They were also the first conjoined twins ever to be separated at the Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth. The surgery took place in January and took 11 hours to complete.


“I would not have thought in a million years that I would have twins,” their mother, Arciniega, told Atlanta News First. “And then conjoined twins on top of that.”

RELATED:Doctor Dresses Like a Superhero to Make Kids Less Nervous Before Surgery — He Touches Hearts Worldwide in the Process

“Some moments are just so hard; you have to stay positive, you have to keep the right mindset,” the girls’ father, James Finley, told an NBC affiliate.

The surgery went well for JamieLynn, and she was sent home last month at five months old. But AmieLynn needed more time to recover and to specifically create more space for her heart, diaphragm, and lungs.

“We’re excited that we get to get her home,” James said at the time. “We’ll have some good bonding time, but at the same time, Amie is still up there, so it’s kind of a double-edged sword. We’re happy Jamie is coming home, but they’re not going to be together for a bit.”

A Quick Recovery

Luckily, AmieLynn didn’t take as long to recover as initially thought, and she was recently sent home to live with her sister. Now, the family of seven is under the same roof for the first time since the girls were born.

“It’s neat when we get to see our kids go home to their families; it’s why we do it,” said medical director and lead surgeon Dr. Jose Iglesisas. “To get to see them with their loving family all together is just the ultimate for us.”

“They’re part of our family, and there’s a little piece missing now that they’re not here, but we’re also so happy they’ve done so well, and they get to go home and be with each other,” added Nurse Brianne Galvan.

The babies, who are already hitting milestones, reportedly share a room and love holding hands and playing with each other — much to their mother’s joy.

A Long Road

Having the babies home is a huge relief, of course, but these twins still have a lot of post-surgical care to get through. AmieLynn developed scoliosis as a result of pulling away from her sister, and both twins will need to be monitored.

That’s why organizers from the EECU Community Foundation have set up a fund and baby registry to help the family. All money raised will help with the rehabilitation process and other treatments that will help the girls reach their full potential.

“This is kind of the beginning again,” James said in a video from the hospital. “Surgery was one beginning, and now we're going home to another beginning.”

A Happy Ending

Everyone goes through hard things in life, and having conjoined twins has got to be one of the hardest — and scariest.

After all, conjoined twins only occur once in every 50,000 to 60,000 births, and most are stillborn. Those are some pretty tough stats. So the fact that this family pulled through really is a miracle.

It’s also a nice reminder that when things look bleak and it’s hard to keep the faith, it’s still important to try. Those girls pulled through their surgeries, and now they’re going to need their parents, not to mention their community.

Luckily, it seems like their community is coming out strong, and these girls are expected to go on to lead full, healthy, and happy lives.

Hot Stories

Leonardo DiCaprio Told Kate Winslet To “Let The Fat Girl Thing Go”
Leo Dicaprio Told Kate Winslet To “Let The Fat Girl Thing Go” …

Forced to feel ashamed for her weight and appearance, Kate Winslet struggled with her body image for years. The media loved to tease her for being “the fat girl,” but there was ONE PERSON who saw the real her. What did Leo see in Kate? And what important message does Kate have for young women everywhere?


Keep ReadingShow less
Videos
Woman wearing a tie-dye shirt, two little kids holding a heartbreaking sign and two people holding hands.

Poor Boy Begs For Money to "Bury My Mama" With Heartbreaking Sign

Facebook/ Shannon Mount and Facebook/Jennifer Fife

A week ago, 11-year-old Kayden Ely experienced the devastating loss of his mother, Shannon Mount. Her unexpected passing didn't just leave Kayden and his four siblings without their mom, it also left the family in dire financial straits.

Desperate to raise funds for his mom's funeral, Kayden took to the streets of his small town in Georgia begging for help. For two days the heartbroken little boy stood next to the railroad tracks, holding a sign that read, "Please help me bury my mama!"

Keep ReadingShow less
Uplifting News
Man standing with two daughters, a black purse and a handwritten note (inset)

Grieving Daughter Finds Note In Fossil Purse While Thrifting

Courtesy Anna Harp and Courtesy of Abrielle Clausing (via People.com)

Thrifting can net all sorts of treasures. Shoppers can snatch up everything from vintage clothes to mid-century modern furniture to kitschy knick-knacks, all without breaking the bank.

But for one grieving woman, she found a hidden gem that was truly priceless.

Keep ReadingShow less
Uplifting News