Conjoined Twins Bound At The Waist Run Like A Spider To Get To School

12-year-old conjoined twins Shivanath and Shivram Sahu who were born in a tiny village near Raipur in Central India were at birth, joined at the waist and share two legs, four arms and one stomach but have independent lungs, hearts and brains. They have amazing ways and rare abilities to wash, shower, dress, comb each other's hair and feed themselves and that keeps everyone stunned including their doctors. Funny enough, they wish never to be separated as a pair of the twin who appears to be the stronger one says;

Shivram said: "We don’t wish to get separated. We will stay like this even when we grow old. We want to live as we are.”

Shivanath, who appears to be the weaker of the two twins, said: "We have taught ourselves everything. We ride to school on a bicycle and playing cricket is no problem."

Inspite of this unusual birth, they are able to walk down the stairs of their simple split-level home and even run on all six limbs to play cricket and other games with neighbouring children. They are also talented in academics and considered among the top students at their local school, much to the pride of their doting father, Raj Kumar, 45.


The father of the duo is married to his lover; Srimati and they have five daughters together. He is very protective of his two sons and will not allow them to leave the village. He said:
"For everyone it is good fun to watch my children, but only I understand all the problems they have.
“During rainy season it becomes difficult for them to walk and when one wants to sit the other has to lie down.
"But they don't fight. They have similar opinions and if one says he wants to play the other one agrees."

The father-of-seven says he would not let a doctor separate them, even if he had the money and the operation was viable. He added:
"God has created them like this so they have to walk like they do. They will remain like this. I don't want anything else.
"Even if doctors say so, I won't get my children separated. I have no interest in money. I'm the one who will work hard to nourish them. I don't need any help."

Dr Krishan Chugh, head of paediatrics at the Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurgaon, near Delhi believes it possible to separate the twins - but with drastic consequences for Shivanath. While Shivram would likely keep both legs and could start living a more normal life - Shivanath would be left with no legs and needing full-time care.
 
The operation would also be very expensive and require long-term rehabilitation, both physically and psychologically. He said:
"This operation is possible. But there are questions whether we should."
"What would we gain and what we will lose? What does the family want, how will society take it and, most importantly, how will these two kids take it?
"They appear to be fairly well-adjusted from the photographs and it seems the organs are working really well.
"They have two different brains, two different hearts and two different lungs. So as far as physically living is concerned, they can go on like this.
"They appear bright enough to start thinking of becoming financially, economically and physically independent.
"They may even be able to get married. There are cases on record where such a thing has happened where conjoined twins have had two different wives and 21 children."
While the twins and their father are adamant they will not be parted, Dr Chugh believes their will may change over time.
 
He added: "They are 12 years old now and they must see others running around as individuals and being separate mentally and physically.
"How much they are motivated to be like the others is what we would have to try and assist."

Their arrival caused quite a stir with some villagers even worshipping them as divine incarnations.