148:, which continued until April 3, 2007, when she was transplanted with a kidney donated by her 26-year-old mother, Erin. Maliyah was reported to be doing well following the transplant, as was her mother. In 2015, Maliyah's body started to reject the kidney. A few months later, despite intense treatment to slow down the process, it was definite that her kidney wouldn't be able to function for much longer. Maliyah received another kidney transplant in May 2018, which has so far been successful.
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Following their separation surgery, both girls began learning to walk using crutches. Their parents have discussed having them eventually fitted with prosthetic legs. They also get around using wheelchairs or by crawling and pulling themselves up on furniture, according to the family's website. Jake
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The Herrin twins were approximately four and a half years old when they were separated in an operation that began at 7 a.m. on Monday, August 7, 2006, lasted nearly 18 hours, and involved six surgeons. Surgery on the girls then continued in two separate operations lasting up to eight more hours into
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Prior to the separation surgery, medical ethicists in the United States and in Europe discussed whether it was ethical to separate the twins because of the additional risk to
Maliyah. Their family and doctors believed separation surgery would give both girls their best chance to live a normal life.
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Although separation of most conjoined twins is more likely to be successful at a much earlier age, transplantation of a kidney is not generally possible in children younger than age four. Doctors debated whether they should be separated because of the risk to
Maliyah, but their parents and doctors
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of a form termed
Ischiopagus (Type D) / Omphalopagus (Type B) conjoined twins, meaning that they were joined at the abdomen and the pelvis; they had between them an abdomen, pelvis, liver, kidney, large intestine and two legs (each twin controlling one leg).
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ultimately decided to go forward with the surgery, feeling it gave them their best chance at a normal life. They have been the subject of numerous news articles and have made appearances on television talk shows, including
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86:. They were separated in August 2006. They were the first set of conjoined twins to be separated to share a
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90:. Kendra retained their shared kidney following the separation surgery, while Maliyah Herrin underwent
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the morning of August 8. The twins went home from the hospital to their family on
September 17, 2006.
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Kendra retained the single kidney which the twins had shared. Maliyah immediately began
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and Erin Herrin's other children include fraternal twin sons and another daughter.
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until she was transplanted with a kidney donated by her mother in April 2007.
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When Hearts
Conjoin Co-Author, Lu Ann Brobst Staheli's site
241:"Maliyah Herrin Doing Well in Recovery From Transplant"
114:, to Erin and Jake Herrin. They began their lives as
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227:"Sisters Who Share Kidney Undergoing Separation"
165:The twins' mother wrote a book in 2009 titled
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284:Former family website, via Internet Archive
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256:I GOT A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT! | Herrin Twins
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67:Justin Erron Jeffrey Herrin (brother)
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82:(born February 26, 2002) are former
69:Austin Jacob Lamar Herrin (brother)
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269:from the original on 2021-12-09.
65:Courtney Reiley Herrin (sister)
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243:. KSL News Radio. 2007-04-16.
329:Kidney transplant recipients
106:The twins were born at the
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229:. Health News. 2006-08-07.
23:Kendra and Maliyah Herrin
125:The Oprah Winfrey Show
16:Former conjoined twins
195:Herrin, Jake (2007).
112:Salt Lake City, Utah
57:Jake and Erin Herrin
46:Salt Lake City, Utah
314:Congenital amputees
167:When Hearts Conjoin
76:Kendra Deene Herrin
110:Medical Center in
108:University of Utah
80:Maliyah Mae Herrin
334:American amputees
140:Kidney transplant
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39:February 26, 2002
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197:"Herrin Twins"
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209:. Retrieved
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309:2002 births
298:Categories
173:References
131:Separation
102:Early life
35:2002-02-26
211:April 16,
62:Relatives
54:Parent(s)
267:Archived
152:Progress
92:dialysis
262:YouTube
88:kidney
48:, U.S.
213:2007
161:Book
78:and
29:Born
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33:(
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