Parenthood
Mom and dad overwhelmed when conjoined twins personalities change after separation surgery
Amanda Arciniega and James Finley haven't had it easy when it comes to their baby girls.
Cherie Gozon
06.05.23

Parents would love to bring their newborn home to enjoy parenthood right away.

Unsplash - Kelly Sikkema
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Unsplash - Kelly Sikkema

There would be good and bad days, especially the first-timers, but it’s all worth it.

Nothing compares to the joy a baby brings into the home.

However, this isn’t always the case for every pregnancy.

Unsplash - Alexander Grey
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Unsplash - Alexander Grey

Some babies need further medical attention and are sent to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, while others are born with deficiencies that need surgery or other special care.

All these would require months of extended stays in the hospital and could cause stress to the parents.

Amanda Arciniega and James Finley had to wait months until they could bring their twins home.

YouTube - Good Morning America
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YouTube - Good Morning America

October 3rd of last year was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives, only to find out something was wrong.

Learning they couldn’t hold their babies sooner than expected broke their hearts.

Their daughters AmieLynn and JamieLynn were conjoined twins.

YouTube - Good Morning America
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YouTube - Good Morning America

The girls were attached to the abdomen and shared a liver; in their case, it was best to separate them through surgery.

A team of medical professionals performed the surgery to separate the girls.

YouTube - Good Morning America
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YouTube - Good Morning America

Among the team of doctors were four pediatric surgeons, three anesthesiologists, and two plastic surgeons to ensure that the girls were safely separated and would quickly heal.

After 11 hours of surgery, the twins were finally separated – a first in Cook Children’s Medical Hospital.

It was a mix of emotions for Amanda and James, but they were glad the twins were fine.

YouTube - Good Morning America
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YouTube - Good Morning America

“They were on breathing machines and all the wires and stuff, so it was a lot,” Amanda told GMA.

“It was hard seeing them when they first came out of surgery,” James added.

They waited two more months before they could bring their babies home.

YouTube - Good Morning America
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YouTube - Good Morning America

It took a month before they could hold their daughters because of their surgical incisions in the chest, and they waited another month for AmieLynn to recover from a separate chest surgery.

After the long wait, they were finally ready to introduce them to their family and friends.

YouTube - Good Morning America
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YouTube - Good Morning America

Their loved ones prepared a baby shower six months after Amie and Jamie were born.

Everybody contributed to the party to lessen the parents’ stress, and they were also willing to give them a hand in attending to the kids.

It was a day worth celebrating, and their home was filled with life and love.

One of their special guests was Brianne Galban, who cared for the girls in the hospital.

YouTube - Good Morning America
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YouTube - Good Morning America

She joined the rest of the Arciniega and Finley family in celebrating the twins, and for all those months she looked after them, she felt like she was already part of the family.

Now separated, Amanda and James are noticing the difference in their personalities.

YouTube - Good Morning America
Source:
YouTube - Good Morning America

Their little personalities are starting to shine, and they can’t wait for what’s in store for them.

They said Aime is more feisty while Jaime is the calm, cool, and collected one.

Of course, this could still change in the future, but the couple is happy to see how they’re showing this side of themselves.

Watch this amazing story in the video below.

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