That was the case for Ronnie and Donnie Galyon. These two were twins, but not just any twins: they were conjoined. And as time went on, they became perhaps the most famous conjoined twins in all of the history.
What if you were destined to make history from the moment you were born?
These two could have been held back by the circumstances of their birth. Instead, they achieved unprecedented success and made friends all around the world, all while taking care of their family.
Ready to learn about the conjoined twins who made history? Keep reading to discover the bizarre story behind their lives, deaths, and legacy.
The early days
The story of Ronnie and Donnie Galyon begins simply enough. The two were born in Beavercreek, Ohio, back in 1951. And as soon as they were born, their parents and doctors knew they had a potential problem on their hands.
The Galyon twins were born conjoined. They share certain body parts, including shared lower digestive organs. However, they had their own separate arms, legs, stomachs, and hearts.
In the last 70 years or so, medical science has come a long way toward understanding what it means to be conjoined. Back in 1951, though, it was amazing that these twins were born healthy and went on to lead amazing and productive lives.
What does it mean to be a conjoined twin?
Conjoined twins occur in nature when the early embryo inside their mother only partially separates. The result is two very distinct individuals that are connected to each other.
Not all conjoined twins are joined together the same way that Ronnie and Donnie were. In fact, the term “conjoined twin” simply refers to twins that are physically connected in a particular way. Some of these twins are connected at the chest while others are connected by the abdomen, pelvis, or other body parts.
This type of conjoining happens more often than you might think, but the babies are often stillborn or die soon after they are born. In some cases, the twins survive, and some can even be surgically separated. Unfortunately, that was never a real option for Ronnie and Donnie Galyon.
Why weren’t the twins separated when they were younger?
Whether or not doctors would attempt to surgically separate the Galyon twins was left up to their parents. In turn, the parents had a simple question for the doctors: would the children be able to live if they were separated?
The doctors told the parents the truth: they could not guarantee the children would live if they were separated. Therefore, the parents decided to keep their children conjoined. Even then, the doctors were still very concerned about what would happen to the kids.
Aside from being conjoined, the twins were in good health. But the doctors, concerned about their health, kept the children in the hospital for two years. It was only after they were released that they began to make special use of their condition.
The twins take care of their family
One important detail about Ronnie and Donnie Galyon is that they had plenty of siblings. Counting the conjoined twins, their parents had nine different mouths to feed. To make the best out of a bad situation, their father, Wesley Galyon, decided to take the conjoined twins to carnivals as a way of making money.
And the family definitely needed money. On top of having all those children to feed, the family had major medical bills to pay (even in 1951, keeping children in the hospital for two years wasn’t cheap). This turned into a major career, with the twins touring North America as well as South America as they raised money for their family.
As reported by The Sun, the two quickly became the breadwinners of the family. This left a permanent impression on their brother Jim, who was honest about the fact that they were the only ones bringing any real income to the family.
These conjoined twins make history
No circus professionals keep performing forever, and the Galyon twins retired their act in 1991. They lived alone for a while until they began developing health issues. Specifically, they suffered from intense arthritis that made living alone too difficult, and Ronnie suffered from a dangerous lung infection, so they ended up moving in with family members in 2010. That was the same year that TLC aired a documentary about the twins, making them famous with an entirely new generation of fans.
The name of that documentary was quite appropriate: The World’s Oldest Conjoined Twins Move Home. The show itself focused on the twins integrating back into their home community. And the title made it clear that, by becoming the oldest conjoined twins, the Gaylons made history.
Back home, the twins lived in relative peace, comfort, and happiness. Their brother Jim was particularly happy to help them since they were once the family breadwinners who provided for him. Sadly, the two developed further health issues and were entered into hospice care. And on July 4, 2020, the world’s oldest conjoined twins died of congestive heart failure. They were surrounded by family members who loved them very much, and they died knowing they left a powerful and moving legacy to the world.
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