The life of conjoined twins after 6 years of separation

In 2019, Liliya Bachinskaya, a Ukrainian mother of three, lay on the ultrasound table at 10 weeks pregnant with a completely relaxed mind. The cool gel on the belly and the flashing black and white images on the screen are all too familiar. However, that peace quickly disappeared when she noticed the ultrasound technician’s expression change.

She dropped the detector and hurried out of the room without saying a word. Bachinskaya tried to calm down, but when the employee returned with a doctor, who looked at the screen and said, “Oh my God,” the young mother’s fear reached its peak.

Living in California, USA, but English is Bachinskaya’s second language. When she heard the phrase “conjoined twins”, she still couldn’t fully imagine the seriousness of the problem. It was only when she returned to the car and looked up the dictionary that the mother was truly shocked. She called her husband, Anatoliy, sobbing. While driving, Bachinskaya’s mind was confused, torn between the thought that she might have to abort the pregnancy, and the feeling of disbelief that this was really happening. However, while stopping at the red light, she suddenly felt strangely peaceful. “It was like a sign from above,” she recalls.

She and her husband finally decided to keep the pregnancy and take everything at their own pace. At the specialized clinic, doctors diagnosed two girls with a case of Craniopagus, twins conjoined at the head. This is an extremely rare condition, with a rate of only 1 in 2.5 million babies born alive. Even though the chances of her children surviving until birth were slim, Bachinskaya still held her husband’s hand tightly, determined not to give up hope.

Throughout her pregnancy, she had to have constant check-ups but still tried to maintain a normal rhythm of life. Bachinskaya said it was that optimism that helped her push away her fears. Four months later, MRI results confirmed that the two babies had a chance to have separation surgery in the future.

To prepare for Bachinskaya’s special birth, the hospital mobilized more than 200 medical staff. Each newborn has its own team, including neurologists, cardiologists and plastic surgeons. Due to premature rupture of membranes, the mother was taken to the hospital in an emergency. Two babies were born and were immediately transferred to the special care unit. The next day, when she saw her children for the first time, only one thought appeared in Bachinskaya’s mind: they were perfect. The two babies are named Abigail and Micaela.

Her family’s life after that was a series of endless efforts. From changing diapers to breastfeeding, everything requires creativity and maternal instinct. Because they couldn’t use a regular bathtub, they had to use a transparent plastic box to bathe the two babies. According to the mother, although conjoined, the two sisters have completely different personalities. Abigail is agile, while Micaela is calmer. Every developmental milestone, from a smile to the first babble, becomes priceless to the Bachinskaya couple.

In October 2020, when they were 10 months old, Abigail and her sisters entered a major 24-hour separation surgery with the participation of 30 medical experts. Because of the Covid-19 epidemic, parents cannot wait in the hospital but can only update information via text message. Receiving the news that the surgery was successful, Bachinskaya felt relieved and suffocated.

“I cried with happiness when I ran into the hospital and saw my children separated for the first time. They were able to turn around and look straight into each other’s eyes. A moment that is normal for every other mother, but for me, it was a miracle,” Bachinskaya said.

Six years have passed, that magical feeling is still intact when she witnesses Abigail running around and Micaela carefully watching. The two children grew up in the love of their parents and older brothers, and had their own “secret” language of twins. At the age of 5, children can look back at conjoined newborn photos and recognize which are themselves and which are their sisters. For Bachinskaya, the biggest lesson she learned is to live fully in the present: “Today my children are still here, for me, that’s enough.”