A Florida woman is expecting to give birth to twin girls later this month–hardly news were it not for the fact that Lailani and Iyana are conjoined at the heart and liver, and, according to doctors, cannot be separated.
Fuschia Gaskin and her husband, Quincy, both 26, discovered she was pregnant with the twins in November.
Already mom to a one-year-old son, Gaskin said she and her husband were “overjoyed” when the doctor explained what they were seeing on screen–she was expecting twin girls.
‘We instantly thought “That’s scary.”’
The pregnancy was immediately requalified as high-risk. The couple went in for more ultrasounds, to determine which vital organs the girls shared.
“They share their heart and liver. Everything else is separate,” Gaskin told the Metro.
“They each have two arms and two legs. But as of right now, they are not separable.”
She posted an update on the page recently.
? . Next appointment will be on Valentine’s day!!!!! My last appointment before the big day.”Initially, doctors told Gaskin not to hold out much hope for her babies’ well-being.
“I was told my babies most likely won’t survive to my full term due date and if they did they would pass within the first 24 hours post birth. The doctors even mentioned aborting.”
But after meeting with multiple doctors and surgeons, Gaskin became convinced of hope and is determined to fight for her girls. She has relocated closer to specialized care.
“We could not give up on our girls and continued with our pregnancy. I was determined to find somewhere that would give my girls the best chance at life.”
Gaskin explained to Metro reporters that the biggest risk is the shared heart.
“They have a heart condition whereas instead of a normal heart like most people have, with two upper chambers and two lower chambers, they have just one large upper chamber and three lower chambers. (The doctors) are worried about how’s that’s going to function after.
“It could potentially cause health issues if their hearts are overworked.”
“This journey continues as we all continue our fight for our girls.”
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