In 2016, twin girls named Abby and Erin were born in North Carolina — joined at the head. Their condition, known as craniopagus twins, is one of the rarest and most complex forms of conjoined birth. Doctors warned their mother, Ann Delaney, as early as the 11th week of pregnancy that the chances of survival were slim and strongly recommended termination. But Ann refused. She chose hope over fear, determined to give her daughters every possible chance at life, no matter how uncertain the road ahead.
The girls were delivered prematurely at just 30 weeks, tiny and fragile, their heads fused by bone and blood vessels. The medical team fought to keep them stable, knowing that only about two percent of conjoined twins with this condition ever survive long enough for separation surgery. After nearly a year of monitoring and preparation, a team of specialists finally decided to attempt the impossible. On June 6, 2017, the surgery began — an 11-hour operation requiring extraordinary precision. Erin was separated first, then Abby, as surgeons carefully worked through shared tissues and vital veins. Against all odds, both girls survived.
When Abby and Erin finally returned home five months later, the hardest part was just beginning. Rehabilitation was slow and demanding. Their bodies had to learn independence after a lifetime spent joined together. Today, seven years later, both girls are still fighting their way forward. Doctors diagnosed them with intellectual disabilities, and progress has been uneven. Erin, after years of therapy, can walk on her own. Abby can stand while holding her mother’s hands but hasn’t yet taken her first independent steps. Still, they both smile easily, communicate through laughter and gestures, and love playing with other children.
Their story isn’t one of tragedy but of resilience — of a mother’s courage and two girls’ unbreakable will to live. Abby and Erin’s journey shows that even when the odds are impossibly small, love and determination can carve a path forward. Their lives may look different from what their family once imagined, but every smile, every step, every shared moment is a victory — proof that miracles, however imperfect, still happen.
