Friday, 2 November 2012

World's Oldest Conjoined Twins Celebrate 61st Birthday




It's one of the most unusual birthday parties you will ever see. Ronnie and Donnie Gaylon are the oldest conjoined twins in the world.

They just turned 61 and that means they are beating the odds, living longer than anyone ever expected.

Ronnie and Donnie are joined at the sternum. They agree on everything they do. Except watching TV. The brothers have separate televisions.

The conjoined twins live in Dayton, Ohio, and support themselves partly from the money they earned by traveling the world.


Today, the twins prepare for a special day of birthday celebrations, first by shaving each other. Next, the twins get dressed and their brother, Jim and his wife, Mary, help the brothers put on their matching shirts.

Mary explains how she makes their four-legged pants.

"I take two pair of pants and I take them apart then I sew a panel in the middle," said Mary.

Then, they slip into their custom made wheelchair and it's off to the Golden Nugget cafe for a delicious birthday breakfast.

After some birthday kisses from the staff, the brothers enjoy their favorite meal of eggs, biscuits and gravy.

Cafe owner Stacey Frangomichalos told INSIDE EDITION, "I love them because they've taken something that most of us couldn't deal wtih and they've dealt with it like kings. And they are beautiful people."

Then, it's time for a birthday shopping spree. They choose lots of Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars and head to the check out. They place their bags of birthday loot safely on their lap.

Meantime, at their home, preparations for their party are underway. Guests anxiously await their arrival. When the brothers arrive, they're welcomed by birthday cheers. And what's a party without more gifts and birthday cake.

Their own doctor, Dr. Warren Lungrin attended the landmark event.

"You guys keep breaking new ground. They've made it to be the oldest male conjoined twins and they're the oldest living conjoined twins to this date," said Dr. Lungrin.

Their brother attributes their longevity to their positive spirit.

"Every year for them is a milestone for them. Frankly, they weren't expected to make it out of the hospital," said their brother. "A lot of it is their fighting spirit."

If the twins live to age 63, they will be the oldest conjoined twins ever.

The brothers are very thankful to the Christian Youth Corps. The group raised money to build an addition to Ronnie and Donnie's brother's home so they would have a special place to live.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Pages

Blog Archive