Conjoined twins separated at St. Louis hospital are reaching new milestones

ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4) — Twins are born with an inseparable bond, but very few have ever been quite as close as 2-year-olds Hiyab and Wuhbto.

The sisters were born in Ethiopia as craniopagus twins—conjoined at the tops of their heads and facing opposite directions. The condition accounts for less than 6% of all conjoined twins, occurring in just one out of roughly 2.5 million live births.

Facing staggering medical odds, their journey brought them thousands of miles from Ethiopia to St. Louis.

Just before their first birthday in March 2025, the girls arrived at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital through an international humanitarian collaboration with the World Pediatric Project.

A Year of Preparation and a 24-Hour Marathon

Separating craniopagus twins is among the rarest procedures in pediatric medicine. Worldwide, only 62 separation attempts have ever been documented.

Before surgeons could attempt a final separation, it required months of meticulous planning.

“Over the course of a year, we spent time in about six or so surgeries preparing them for final separation, which we were finally able to achieve in February of this year,” said Dr. Joanna Kemp, an associate professor of neurosurgery at Saint Louis University and pediatric neurosurgeon at Cardinal Glennon.

The staged procedures allowed doctors to slowly disentangle shared blood vessels and expand skin tissue, ensuring critical blood flow to both brains remained protected.

The final separation began on the morning of Feb. 24 and stretched into the early hours of Feb. 25—a grueling 24-hour marathon in the operating room.

Leading the surgical team into the history books was Dr. Kemp, who became the first woman neurosurgeon in American history to complete a craniopagus twin separation.

“Only about 8% to 10% of board-certified neurosurgeons are women, and these cases only happen maybe once a year worldwide,” Dr. Kemp said. “So it was kind of two rare things meeting each other.”

A St. Louis Village Steps In

Because of visa complications and social circumstances, the twins’ biological parents were unable to travel to the United States.

A dedicated team of caregivers and the World Pediatric Project stepped in, taking turns holding, rocking, and advocating for the toddlers around the clock.

“I hope Saint Louis is just a household name,” said Kate Corbett, a caregiver with the World Pediatric Project who helped look after the girls.

The extensive medical costs were absorbed through a collaboration of hospital partners, charitable organizations, and private donors committed to saving the girls’ lives.

Hitting Major Milestones in Rehab

Just weeks after the marathon surgery, Hiyab and Wuhbto celebrated their second birthdays—resting in two separate hospital beds for the very first time.

Hospital officials confirmed Wuhbto recently underwent a successful cranioplasty surgery to reconstruct and repair her skull. Her sister, Hiyab, is scheduled for her skull reconstruction surgery later this fall.

“These sorts of surgeries are very complicated, they’re very high risk, and we’ve been pleased with how well these girls have done,” Dr. Kemp said. “We look forward to continuing to help them through this journey.”

Their lives started thousands of miles away in Ethiopia—but their future was given back to them in St. Louis.

Editor’s Note: SSM Health previously reported that this surgery was the first in the area, but later provided an update that the same kind of surgery had been done once before in the 80s.