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Siamese twins born in London
Sophie Goodchild, Health Editor26.11.08
BRITAIN'S youngest mother of Siamese twins gave birth today at a London hospital.
Laura Williams, 18, was delivered of the two girls by Caesarean section at University College Hospital in Bloomsbury. She has named them Faith and Hope.
It is understood that a team of surgeons at Great Ormond Street hospital is on standby to separate the babies who are joined from their breastbone to the top of their belly buttons.
The girls have separate hearts and it is not yet clear whether they share any vital organs. Doctors at the specialist children's hospital will decide if the complex process is possible or if it will jeopardise their survival.
Edward Kiely is one of Great Ormond Street's experts on conjoined twins and successfully carried out an operation to separate a pair in 2003.
In that case, the baby girls were joined from the middle of the chest to the middle of the abdomen - much like Mrs Williams's daughters.
Mrs Williams, of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, was advised to have an abortion when scans revealed that her babies were conjoined, but she refused.
Speaking before the birth she said: "It's scary every day and it's been the hardest decision of our lives but if they're meant to be in this world and if they've come this far, we've got to hope they'll make it the rest of the way.
“We called them Hope and Faith because I'm always hoping everything's going to be all right and Mum says she's got faith in it being all right.”
She added: “It has been hard to take it all in and it's scary every single day. I've had all the emotions but I try to think positively.
“Sometimes I think about the worst so I'm prepared for it, but if it works out well, then I'll just be really happy.'
Mrs Williams was moved to UCLH on Monday after spending the past month in a private ward at Birmingham Women's Hospital.
Before that she and her 28-year-old husband Aled were living with her mother after being evicted from their home six months ago because they were in arrears with their rent.
They were receiving help from a Christian charity which assists the homeless by handing out food supplied by churches.
Mr Williams, who is a bin man, is staying with his wife in London as she recovers from the major operation.
Opened this month, UCLH's Elizabeth Garrett Anderson maternity unit is Britain's most advanced unit for giving birth.
The £70 million centre offers “home birth”-style facilities in private rooms and is expected to handle more than a 5,000 births a year.
Conjoined — or Siamese — twins occur when a single fertilised egg splits to form twins but
the separation is never completed.
Mrs Williams's daughters will be “identical” in that they will have the same genetic code.
Conjoined twins are extremely rare and occur only once in every 200,000 births.
Reader views (7)
Praying for you and your baby, Faith. May God keep her safe and strong, and comfort you and Aled following your loss of Baby Hope earlier this week.
- Nicki,, Cambridge UK
i wish u all the luck in the world there is a saying that special children are a gift from god hope everything goes well
- Fiona, wembley
Cruel unnecessary comment Jan, Sussex.
Diane London
- Diane Thackray, London England
Hope everthing works out well for all concerned. Good Luck and God bless you all.
- Sheila Callaghan, perth W.A.
All that is Wicca in the power that I can raise up we wish you well and pray for your babies. Go well and peace. blessed be.
- Jon Vickers, SC USA
Indeed - she has faith in some tabloid buying her 'journey' and hope that the benefits system will pay her way - and rent arrears - which of course it will. She's already had the 'charidee' bit. Still, hey, what do I know - I just go to work each day and pay my bleedin' taxes
- Jan, Sussex
Good luck
- Peter B, Stevenage U.K.
