A really sharp team of CHOP surgeons separated a pair of conjoined twin boys in August after an eight-hour procedure, NBC Philadelphia reported Wednesday, citing a hospital announcement.
The boys, now 15 month-olds Amari and Javar Ruffin, were born joined at the abdomen, sharing a sternum, liver, and diaphragm, making the CHOP shop’s job not just relatively simple but more importantly ensuring the boys have the chance to grow up and live more or less as if they’d never been conjoined in the first place. “Seeing them each in their own beds was an indescribable feeling,” said mom Shaneka Ruffin. “It feels like we are beginning a new journey as a family of six. We are so grateful to CHOP for helping make this day possible and letting us start this next chapter.”
And CHOP stands for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, recognized as worldwide specialists in conjoined twins, having cho- separated 32 pairs since 1957, more than any other in North America.