PHILADELPHIA — Twin brothers born conjoined have joyfully marked their first birthday following a successful surgical separation.
Amari and Javar Ruffin, who hail from Philadelphia, entered the world through a cesarean section on September 29, 2023. The twins were born sharing portions of their sternum, diaphragm, abdominal wall, and liver, with a total weight of 6 pounds.
On August 21, an experienced surgical team at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, composed of over two dozen professionals including surgeons, anesthesiologists, radiologists, nurses, and other specialists, conducted an extensive eight-hour operation to separate the boys. The team meticulously closed and reconstructed the boys’ abdomens using advanced techniques in mesh and plastic surgery.
Recently, the brothers returned home to reunite with their parents, Tim and Shaneka, and their siblings, Kaylum and Anora.
“It’s a feeling that cannot be described, seeing them each in their own beds,” shared Shaneka Ruffin. “We feel like we are embarking on a new journey as a family of six. Our gratitude towards CHOP for enabling us to experience this day and start this next chapter is immense.”
The Ruffin family discovered that their twins were conjoined during a standard ultrasound performed 12 weeks into the pregnancy. At that time, they were advised to consider terminating the pregnancy. However, they sought a second opinion which revealed that despite the rarity of the twins’ condition, separation was indeed feasible.
Conjoined twins occur in approximately 1 in every 35,000 to 80,000 births. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is one of the select medical facilities in the United States noted for its specialized skills in performing separation surgeries for such cases.
