Amari and Javar Ruffin, twins, recently underwent successful separation surgery. The boys, who were born conjoined at the lower section of their sternum, diaphragm, abdominal wall, and liver, turned one on September 29, a month after their separation surgery.
“Seeing them each in their beds was an indescribable feeling,” their mother Shaneka said in a statement. “It feels like we are beginning a new journey as a family of six.”
After a routine ultrasound revealed that the boys were conjoined, the parents met with a team within days and were informed that the boys, who shared the lowest portion of their sternum, diaphragm, abdominal wall, and liver, could potentially be separated. This information was provided by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).
“This set in motion the plan for preparing the boys’ first milestone: a safe birth,” according to the hospital.
Together, the boys weighed roughly 6 pounds when they were born in September 2023. In August, the eight-hour operation to separate Javar and Amari was carried out following ten months of preparation.
After being separated, the babies’ abdomens were closed and rebuilt, using layers of mesh and plastic surgery techniques to stabilize each one, the hospital said in the statement.
Dr. Holly L. Hedrick, MD, a pediatric general and fetal surgeon at CHOP, stated, “Separating conjoined twins always presents challenges because each set of twins is different. We spend hours rehearsing the flow of surgery prior to the big day—even practicing how to transfer each baby to their own bed. We work collaboratively as a team, ready to combine our unique skills to achieve a safe separation and a chance for these babies to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.”
Physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and rehab medicine doctors continued to work with Amari and Javar after their separation “to ensure they continued to achieve developmental milestones.”
The twins were finally able to leave the hospital on October 8 with their parents, Tim and Shaneka, and siblings, Kaylum and Anora, to travel to the family’s house in Philadelphia.
The proud mother expressed, “We are so grateful to CHOP for helping make this day possible and letting us start this next chapter.”
