Parents of conjoined twins have revealed that doctors were so convinced they would not survive more than 24 hours that they did not even buy clothes for the little ones – but they are now thriving seven years later.
Chelsea and Nick Torres, of Blackfoot, Idaho, found out they were expecting conjoined twins in 2017 and immediately had their hearts shattered.
Medical professionals told the couple that their daughters would only have a five percent chance of living more than a day.
While they initially considered abortion, Chelsea ultimately decided to give birth to the girls, whom they named Callie and Carter, but they still expected the worst.
Doctors were so sure their daughters would not make it past the first day that the couple did not buy them clothes during the pregnancy, leaving them “very unprepared” when Callie and Carter defied the odds and survived.
Parents of conjoined twins (seen in 2022) have revealed that doctors were so convinced they would not survive more than 24 hours that they did not even buy clothes for the little ones.
Chelsea and Nick Torres, of Blackfoot, Idaho, found out they were expecting conjoined twins in 2017, and immediately, their hearts were shattered.
Medical professionals told the couple that their daughters would only have a five percent chance of living more than a day.
Chelsea and Nick opened up about Callie and Carter’s journey during an old interview with Truly, which was shared this week on YouTube.
“At first we thought abortion would be the best option,” Nick admitted.
‘No one wants to carry their children for months at night only for them to die. But we stuck to our guts and here we are.”
“I thought they were going to die as soon as they were here,” Chelsea said, with Nick adding that the girls’ strength “took them completely by surprise.”
“We were very unprepared,” he said. “We had no clothes.”
The girls are connected from the sternum down, meaning they each have their own heart and stomach, but they share a liver, intestinal tract, and bladder. Each of them can control one leg and two arms.
Aside from some initial “breathing issues,” the twins were born healthy and have been thriving ever since.
The girls, who recently completed first grade, are now perfectly healthy and use a wheelchair to get around.
Although they initially considered abortion, Chelsea ultimately decided to give birth to the girls, whom they named Callie and Carter, but they still expected the worst.
Doctors were so sure they wouldn’t make it past the first day that the couple didn’t buy them clothes, leaving them unprepared when the girls defied the odds and survived.
Chelsea and Nick opened up about Callie and Carter’s journey during an old interview with Truly, which was shared this week on YouTube.
“At first we thought abortion would be the best option,” Nick admitted. “No one wants to carry their children for months at night only for them to die.” The girls see each other in May.
They are currently learning to walk by coordinating their movements through physical therapy.
But unfortunately, their unique situation means that they are often the subject of unwanted stares or comments when they are out in public.
“There have been old ladies who have said, ‘God wouldn’t have wanted those children alive,'” Nick shared. “Some people just stare.”
Chelsea also explained, “The kids will come up and just look at them.” Some will say, “Are they stuck?” And I’m like, “They got stuck inside my belly and now they’re here.”
At that time, Chelsea They said they had no plans to separate the sisters because the surgery posed too many risks.
“The only way to do it is if a health issue arises or if they wanted to separate,” he said. ‘We want them to understand the risks.
“I thought they were going to die as soon as they were here,” Chelsea said, with Nick adding that the girls’ strength “took them completely by surprise.”
The sisters are connected from the sternum down, meaning they each have their own heart and stomach, but they share a liver, intestinal tract, and bladder.
Aside from some initial “breathing issues,” the twins were born healthy and have been thriving ever since.
He said the girls were “happy in the skin they’re in” and that they “love them just the way they are.”
“They’re not afraid to do anything,” Nick added.
In an interview with KTVB Last year, Chelsea insisted that her daughters are just like any other girl, and that each of them has their own personality, as well as their likes and dislikes.
“I just want people to know that they are two normal kids,” he said. ‘They are in an unusual circumstance, but treat them normally.
‘They like to be treated like any other child because they are. They’re in school, they go to physiotherapy, they do normal activities, they ride their bikes.’
Chelsea explained to the Today show that Callie is “really feminine” while Carter is the complete opposite. And like any brother, sometimes they get tired of each other.
They are now perfectly healthy and use a wheelchair to get around. They are currently learning to walk by coordinating their movements through physical therapy.
But unfortunately, their unique situation means that they are often the subject of unwanted stares or comments when they are out in public. See each other in December
“There have been old ladies who have said, ‘God wouldn’t have wanted those children alive,'” Nick shared. ‘Some people just stare’
Still, Chelsea said the girls were “happy in the skin they’re in” and that they “love them just the way they are.”
“We try to give them their own time, even though they’re kind of glued together,” he said, adding that they’ll put headphones on them and let them watch TV on their tablets if they say they need time alone.
“Even though Callie and Carter are two people together, you have to remember that they are individual children.”
Chelsea also opened up more about the backlash her daughters received on the Today show, admitting that she initially hid them under a blanket while out in public after she started noticing people staring at them.
‘When they were babies, it was difficult for me. “People were staring and taking pictures,” he told the outlet.
‘I actually ended up smashing someone’s phone. It was just easier to hide them.
