By Rachel Paula Abrahamson -
TODAY
Twins Ella and Eliza Fuller, who were born conjoined twins, are no longer babies and are officially little girls after celebrating their first birthday.
“Everywhere they go, they're together
,” Ella and Eliza's mother Sandy Fuller told TODAY hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb on March 14.
“Every morning when they wake up, the first thing they do is stand up and talk to each other and laugh.”
“Sometimes when we're in bed we hear them and they're talking,” added Jesse Fuller, the father.
According to Jesse, Ella “wants attention all the time,” while Eliza is “more laid back” and more on the “calm side.”
[Two conjoined twins are separated after an 11-hour operation in the US]
In a touching tribute on Instagram, Sandy described her daughters as “miracle babies,” and reflected on the day she and her husband Jesse met their “hugging twins.”
She and Eliza, who
came into the world connected at the abdomen
, were born by cesarean section at Texas Children's Hospital on March 1, 2023.
Capture of a video of the twins when they were being prepared for the operation. TODAY via Texas Children's Hospital
The Fullers found out the babies were conjoined when Sandy was 12 weeks pregnant.
[Two Siamese sisters joined at the head see each other for the first time after being separated in Israel]
“[There were] so many warriors praying with us from all over that our girls would be born safe and healthy,” Sandy wrote in her birthday message, noting that her heart was “filled with so much gratitude.”
At four months, Ella and Eliza underwent a risky, six-hour separation operation conducted by Dr. Alice King, a pediatric surgeon at Texas Children's Hospital.
King was
assisted by a 17-person surgical team
.
Conjoined twins occur once every 50,000 to 60,000 births, and many are stillborn.
“They are so rare that there is no manual,” King told TODAY.
“In the back of my mind, I always have my plan A, B, and then all the way up like L, M, N.”
Not only was the operation a success, but Ella and Eliza are now “flourishing,” according to their mother.
“The girls have been released from physical therapy,” Sandy shared in a post on Instagram in January.
“As much as we loved seeing our PT [physical therapist], we are happy to know they are on the right path.”
When the twins were 8 months old, Sandy marveled at how they crawled.
“I'm surprised they're doing all this [...] After not being able to use any of their core muscles for almost four months,” Sandy posted in a series of images on Instagram.
“Babies are really very resilient
. ”
“They love to talk to each other at night before going to sleep,” he added.
“I love their giggles and laughter.”