In Northern Ireland, the Bateson family had been waiting for a miracle for many years. After fertility treatment, the parents’ dream came true — their long-awaited daughters were to be born. But joy quickly turned to concern: doctors informed them that the girls were conjoined twins, fused from the chest down to the pelvis.

On the ultrasound screen, the expectant mother saw two hearts. Annabelle and Isabelle shared a liver, intestines, bladder, and one leg.

Each had their own leg, but their bodies were so tightly intertwined that even experienced surgeons could not immediately say if separation would be possible and safe.

The birth took place in March 2022 at University College Hospital in London. Immediately after birth, the girls were transferred to one of the UK’s best children’s