Beth Shilliday
·2 min read
Fans have become fascinated once again with Abby & Brittany alums Abby and Brittany Hensel after the former found love and got married. People want to know how the former TLC stars are conjoined and what anatomy they share.
How Are Abby and Brittany Hensel Conjoined?
The pair are dicephalus conjoined twins, meaning they share two heads and necks on one body. Their type of anatomy conjoinment is one of the rarest forms, with twins often not living past birth.
What Anatomy Parts Do Abby and Brittany Hensel Share?
Anatomically, the twins are joined from the waist down They share a colon, rectum, reproductive organs and bladder.
What Anatomy Parts Are Separate on Abby and Brittany Hensel?
The sisters have their own hearts, set of lungs, kidneys and stomachs. The pair also have their own brains and spinal cords.
Abby and Brittany Hensel's Anatomy Functions
Abby has control over their right side of their body, while Brittany controls the left. They work in coordination, allowing the twins to do such activities as playing basketball and other sports including swimming and volleyball. They're also able to ride a bicycle together, play the piano and operate a computer keyboard.
Abby and Brittany are also able to drive, with the former working the pedals and gear shift while both steer the car. On their 2012 TLC reality series, the twins revealed they each had to take a driver's test, which they passed.
During the show, Abby revealed her body temperature tends to run hotter than her sister's, and that her side of their body heats up faster.
"I get super hot way faster, and there's a distinct red line all the way down — legitimately — my legs are sweating, everything. It's awful, and she's fine," Abby explained.
Abby and Brittany Hensel Had an Extra Arm When They Were Born
The twins were born to Patty and Mike Hensel on March 7, 1990, in Carver County, Minnesota. Patty was expecting to give birth to one child based on scans. The girls were born with a third arm at the bases of their necks, which was surgically removed as it was not functional.
Abby and Brittany Hensel's Quotes About Separation
Patty and Mike decided against separating the twins shortly after their birth, as chances were slim both would survive the operation.
"We never wish we were separated. Because then we wouldn't get to do the things we can do— play softball, meet new people, run," the twins explained in the 2007 documentary, Extraordinary People: The Twins Who Share a Body.
Where Are Abby and Brittany Hensel Today?
Abby married army veteran Josh Bowling in 2021, although Brittany curiously wasn't listed as a witness.
The sisters currently teach fourth and fifth grade at an elementary school in New Brighton, Minnesota, with a concentration in math. They teach the same class, although Abby and Brittany each have their own teaching licenses.
