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What future did Doctors Enas and Abdelmajeed Gaboura foresee for their conjoined twins on the day they were born by caesarian section in Sudan? As doctors they would have known that the future looked bleak. Only one fifth of conjoined craniopagus twins (joined at the head) survive beyond the first year, and of those that survive longer ninety percent die by the age of ten. They must have been desperately worried, but luckily an extraordinary team of surgeons came to their assistance and gave them the fairy tale ending they must only have dreamed of. Having tried every organization they could think of to help, the Gabouras were running out of ideas. It was becoming increasingly difficult to care for the two-month-old twins. Even finding a way to put on their baby clothes was a challenge. The girls, Rital and Ritag had to remain lying down at all times, and it was difficult to move them around without injuring them. Time was running out, as Ritag’s heart was not able to sustain her sister’s blood supply indefinitely. She was weakening. They needed a miracle. A Prayer Answered Finally, they found the help they needed, in the shape of Facing The World, a charity organization set up by a group of British craniofacial surgeons, to help children with facial disfigurements from around the world. The charity managed to raise £300,000 to pay for the treatment needed, and all of the two dozen surgeons in the surgical team gave many hours of time for nothing. Little did they know the challenge they would face, and how involved they would become in the girls’ lives. Gorgeous Twins It was clear from the moment Ritag and Rital arrived in London that they were a delight. The team of surgeons fell for the twins as they giggled and chatted away in their hospital bed, waiting for the surgery that would change their lives. Saving them became even more important as they grew fond of the little girls whose lives were in their hands. The medical team talked for hours about how they should approach the forthcoming operations. The slightest error could result in the death of one or both of the girls. If Ritag’s heart had not been struggling they would have chosen to delay the operation until the girls were older, but time was not on their side. One twin had high blood pressure, but the other did not, although they shared a blood supply. How could they medicate one and not the other? A Great Team The medical team included craniofacial and plastic surgeons, neurosurgeons, anaesthetists, neuro-radiologists, paediatricians, cardiologists and a host of specialist nurses. They were led by Dr David Dunaway, who oversaw the highly complex surgery. Over the following weeks the girls underwent a series of ten hour operations, recovering in between each one in order to gain strength for the next. The margin for error during these procedures was just millimeters, as the surgeons carefully separated the blood vessels and tissues that held the girls together. There were many anxious moments over the coming weeks. After the first operation, Ritag’s heart seemed to grow weaker. They could not afford to wait. Just seven days later another operation managed to separate the main blood vessels that joined them, allowing Ritag’s heart to regain strength. Another operation followed on the 4th July, lasting six hours. Success The last operation was on 15th of August. It lasted thirteen hours. During this surgery the twins were finally separated. After eleven months of lying on their backs they girls were able to sit up for the first time, just days after the surgery. Their progress since then has been staggering, according to Dr Dunaway. They will continue to need treatment for some time, including physiotherapy to strengthen the muscles in their necks. But developmentally they are hitting all their targets and going from strength to strength. Dr Dunaway is clearly delighted with the result of the surgery. He smiles as he tells of how Ritag and Rital’s parents had to get used to running from one cot to the other as they learned to adapt to the needs of two separate babies. As for the girls, they are promised two birthdays in future by their father – one for the day they were born, and one for the day they were separated. Hi friends… If you get more information about "soft-baby-clothes.com" so please check out these links :- Newborn baby clothing and Newborn baby gifts.
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