Their skulls and parts of their brain membranes were fused, and doctors knew from the start that without highly complex surgery, they would not survive long.

When the girls were just one year old, doctors made the crucial decision to separate them. The parents were immediately told the truth: likely, one of the daughters would not survive.

Separating the skull bones was possible, but separating the brains was a task on the level of space technology. The neurosurgeons knew that even a one-millimeter error could cost a life or cause severe disability.