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Once joined, twins are going home separately

DALLAS - Ahmed and Mohamed Ibrahim arrived in the United States more than three years ago as babies fused at the tops of their heads. Today, the 4-year-olds will return home to Egypt as two boys living independent lives.

The youngsters were surgically separated in October 2003 in a 34-hour operation that doctors had warned could result in the deaths of one or both of the boys.

"When we came here we don't know what's going to happen with the future, but now with the doctors' and God's help, we have two healthy kids," their mother, Sabah Abu el-Wafa, said through a translator this week.

The boys were born in 2001 in Egypt and came to Dallas a year later so doctors could determine whether they could be separated.

More than 50 medical personnel took part in the operation at Children's Medical Center Dallas.

As family and friends held their breath, a nurse held up two fingers and announced: "We have two boys." Their mother cried, and their father fainted.

Since then, the boys have undergone extensive therapy and had surgery to reconstruct their skulls, though they still must wear helmets for protection.

The twins are full of energy these days. Mohamed, who is walking now, has the dance moves. The quieter Ahmed, who gets around with the help of a walker, prefers to listen to the music while cuddled up with a family friend who sways to the beat. They have come a long way in just being able to move around.

[Last modified November 19, 2005, 01:08:18]