Lori and George Schappell, the world’s oldest conjoined twins, have died at the age of 62 in Pennsylvania.
Born on September 18, 1961, in Reading, they were connected at the skull but had separate bodies. They shared some brain tissue and critical blood vessels.
The twins passed away on April 7 at a hospital in Philadelphia, according to their obituary. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
George, who was also dealing with spina bifida, used a mobility device which Lori helped navigate. This form of conjoined twinning is extremely rare, affecting only 2% to 6% of conjoined twins, reports NBC Today.
In 2007, George transitioned gender, making them the first conjoined twins to identify as different genders, as noted by the Guinness World Records. During a trip to London in 2011, George shared his experiences as a transgender man with The Sun newspaper.
Both siblings had graduated and worked at Reading Hospital. They lived independently from the age of 24, moving out of an institution into a two-bedroom apartment. Despite their unique challenges, they each enjoyed personal hobbies. George pursued a career in country music, while Lori was an avid tenpin bowler.
They chose not to consider separation surgery. “Why fix what is not broken?” George once remarked in a documentary, underscoring their acceptance of their life together.
Our thoughts are with their family and friends during this time.
