Born Joined at the Head, These Twin Sisters Could Hear Each Other but Never See Each Other’s Faces — Until a 25-Hour Surgery Changed Everything

For almost two years, twin sisters Hiyab and Wuhbto shared an extraordinary connection.

Born in Ethiopia with their heads physically joined, the little girls faced opposite directions. They could hear each other’s voices and feel one another’s presence, but they could not look directly into each other’s faces.

Separating them would require one of the rarest and most complicated procedures in pediatric medicine.

But thousands of miles from their birthplace, an international team was preparing to give the sisters an opportunity neither had ever experienced: life in two separate bodies.

Two Little Girls Born With an Exceptionally Rare Condition

Hiyab and Wuhbto were born in Ethiopia in March 2024 with craniopagus, a condition in which twins are joined at the head.

According to SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, craniopagus occurs in approximately one in every 2.5 million live births and accounts for fewer than six percent of conjoined twin cases.

The sisters’ skulls and important blood vessels were connected, making any attempt at separation exceptionally dangerous.

Although their brains were mostly separate, doctors later identified small areas of connected brain tissue that would require careful surgical management.

Without specialized treatment, the girls faced significant risks to their long-term health.

A Journey Across the World Without Their Parents

In March 2025, shortly before their first birthday, Hiyab and Wuhbto traveled from Ethiopia to St. Louis, Missouri.

Their parents were unable to obtain visas to accompany them, meaning the little girls had to undergo their medical journey far from their family.

They traveled with a guardian and received support from an international network of organizations, including World Pediatrics, Lola Children’s Home and SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital.

Caregivers helped provide comfort and companionship while medical teams studied every detail of the twins’ unusual anatomy.

More than 300 hours were devoted to surgical planning and strategy meetings.

Nearly a Year of Preparation for One Extraordinary Operation

Before the final separation, surgeons performed a series of preparatory procedures to gradually address the girls’ shared blood vessels and prepare their tissues for reconstruction.

Advanced medical imaging and three-dimensional models helped specialists plan the complex operation.

On February 24, 2026, the twins entered the operating suite at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital.

More than 30 surgical staff members participated in the separation procedure, led by pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Joanna Kemp and a multidisciplinary team.

Every step required exceptional precision. Surgeons needed to protect the blood supply to both girls’ brains while separating their connected structures.

At 2:31 A.M., The Sisters Were Finally Apart

The operation continued through the night.

At 2:31 a.m. on February 25, the medical team reached the moment everyone had spent months preparing for: Hiyab and Wuhbto were physically separated.

For the first time in their lives, the sisters occupied two individual operating beds.

Surgeons then continued reconstructing and closing their surgical sites, with separate teams working on each girl.

At approximately 7:30 a.m., both children left the operating room and were transferred to pediatric intensive care in separate beds.

The entire procedure, including preparation and closure, lasted more than 24 hours.

Learning to Live, Play and Grow as Two Individuals

On September 16, 2026, the hospital publicly announced the successful separation and shared details of the girls’ continuing recovery.

Hiyab and Wuhbto had celebrated their second birthday in March as two separate individuals.

They continued receiving specialized care and rehabilitation at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital, where therapists were helping them develop abilities that had previously been difficult or impossible while joined together.

These included sitting independently, preparing to stand and walk, eating, communicating, socializing and playing with other children, including each other.

Wuhbto subsequently underwent successful surgery to complete the reconstruction of her skull. As of the hospital’s September announcement, Hiyab was preparing for a similar procedure later in the fall.

The sisters’ medical journey was not yet finished, and their care team hoped they would eventually return home to their family in Ethiopia.

For two little girls who once could only hear each other, the opportunity to interact face-to-face marked an extraordinary new beginning.

Sources: SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, September 16, 2026; World Pediatrics, September 17, 2026; CBS News, September 2026.