Heartwarming! Formerly Conjoined Twins Defy All Odds To Celebrate 15th Birthday

Formerly conjoined Mexican twins, Josie Hull and Teresa Cajas, have defied all odds to celebrate their 15th birthday after undergoing a total of 32 surgeries since they were first separated in a 23-hour procedure.

According to People, the twins, who were born conjoined, were famously separated at the skull in a procedure conducted in August 2002 at the UCLA’s Mattel Children’s Hospital, USA, when they were just over a year old.

The teenage girls wore their Quinceanera (a formal celebration of their 15th birthday which will hold on August 7) pink and lavender dresses to celebrate their birthday at the Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, on Thursday.

Hull, one of the twins, said in a statement, “I was so happy to see everybody today and I’m really excited about our [Quinceanera] party coming up. So many doctors and nurses have helped us do so much and now I get to do dance competitions, sing and swim because of them.”

Sources say the twins celebrated in grand style, walking the red carpet and posing for photos in their gowns. They reportedly ate cake with hospital staff and family, and visited with many of the doctors, surgeons and nurses that have aided in their post-surgery treatment over the past decade.

Hull confirmed that at their real coming of age party, “We’re having cake, candy, a photo booth and an In-N-Out truck.”

She added, “I’m really excited about our party.”

Hull’s mom, Jenny, said, “Because of the great care we get at Children’s Hospital L.A., they get to survive and go out in the real world and really thrive. These girls bring hope and inspiration to so many.”

She continued, “It has been a more difficult road for Teresa. We’re just so glad because we were not sure the girls would make it to 15.”

Dr. Mark Urata, the chief of plastic and maxillofacial surgery at Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles, and a member of the surgery team that separated the twins, said, “If one gets ill, the other could get sick too, so the statistics aren’t very strong for having a long life as conjoined twins. I think the separation has been a life-altering experience for them.”

The girls, who were adopted into different families after their Guatemalan parents could not properly care for their medical needs, reportedly come together several times a week for physical therapy, shared meals, play dates and the pool and sister time.

Hull revealed in 2012 that although Cajas cannot speak, “You can tell [when] she’s happy. My sister and I have been blessed. We’re lucky.”

Photo credit: Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles