Anna Grace and Hope Elizabeth Richards, conjoined twins born on December 29, 2016, were successfully separated during a seven-hour surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. They had shared a liver, diaphragm, and part of their heart.
After spending 18 months in the hospital, they were finally able to go home. “We’ve prayed for this day for almost two years,” said their mother, Jill Richards. “It’s incredible to see them in two separate beds.”
Before the main surgery on January 13, 2018, the girls had a preparatory procedure in November 2017 to insert tissue expanders to help stretch their skin. The complex separation involved a team of 75 medical professionals from eight specialties.
Dr. Larry Hollier credited the success to detailed planning and simulations. The twins were born by C-section at 35 weeks after doctors had discovered they were conjoined during a routine ultrasound.
Today, Anna and Hope are thriving, and their family is grateful to have moved past the surgeries and long hospital stay.
