Lori and George Schappell, conjoined twins whose skulls were partially fused but who managed to lead independent lives, died April 7 in Philadelphia. There were 62 of them.
Their death, in a hospital, was announced by a funeral homewho did not cite a cause.
Dr Christopher Moir, a professor of surgery at the Mayo Clinic, who was part of teams that separated six pairs of conjoined twins — although none of them were joined at the head — said that when one of the Schappell is dead, the other would almost certainly have followed quickly.
“Conjoined twins share circulation,” he said, “so unless you somehow split their connection, it’s an absolutely fatal and unsustainable process.”
The Schappells lived much longer than expected when they were born craniopagus twins, joined at the head, which is rare. They were cited as the second oldest conjoined twins of all time by Guinness World Records.
They were connected at the sides of their foreheads and looked in opposite directions. Lori was able-bodied and pushed George, who suffered from spina bifida, onto a rolling stool. George was born female and changed her name in the 1990s to Reba, for country singer Reba McEntire, but later identified as a trans man.
They insisted adamantly that they were separate people.
“We are two human beings born connected at the level of a single area of the body”, Lori said in a short ITV documentary in 1997. “It’s a condition that happened from birth, and people need to learn to understand it. When they see this” – she gestured towards their joined heads – “all they see is this. »
She added: “There is much more between Reba and I than that. Get over it already, everyone, get over it and get to know each person.
Lori worked in a hospital laundry in the 1990s and enjoyed bowling.
George has performed country music in the United States and abroad; won the Los Angeles Music Award for Best New Country Artist in 1997; and sang “The Fear of Being Alone” over the closing credits of “Stick to you” (2003), a comedy directed by Bobby and Peter Farrelly starring Greg Kinnear and Matt Damon as Siamese twins.
The Schappells had been hired as technical consultants on the film, but when the Farrellys discovered Reba’s musical talent, they added her rendition of “The Fear of Being Alone,” a song recorded by Ms. McIntire in 1996, the Los Angeles Times. Reba Schappell too make a video of the song.
In 2002, Reba appeared on “The Jerry Springer Show,” singing “Dr. Talk,” a song Mr. Springer wrote and recorded in 1995. The audience stood and applauded as she performed.
They gave themselves space for their activities. Reba told BBC radio in 2006: “When I sing, Lori is like another fan, except she’s on stage with me (covered by a blanket to reduce distraction). »
On the Springer show, the twins noted that Lori was dating men and they discussed the logistics.
During Lori’s appointments, Reba said, “I wasn’t…
