What Life Is Really Like For Conjoined Twins Abby And Brittany Hensel Today

Abby and Brittany Hensel were born in 1990 and quickly found fame due to their condition. As dicephalic parapagus twins, with two heads next to each other on one larger torso, they defied the odds and have lived long and fruitful lives. According to a Radiology Case Reports review, 60% of dicephalic parapagus twins are still born while 35% die within hours of birth, making their story one of resiliency and inspiration.

According to a Tik Tok video closing out 2024, Abby and Brittany have two sets of some organs, like hearts and lungs, while sharing others. They have one circulatory system, and the narrator of the video notes each twin "pumps blood through the same system, meaning the actions of one can directly affect the other." Abby and Brittany each control one side of their body, requiring an intense coordination that lets them navigate the world as anyone else would. "For activities requiring both arms, such as holding objects, typing on a keyboard or steering a car, they rely on constant cooperation and communication." Their rare condition has made them public figures since they were born. However, they haven't let their condition or the fame it's brought them get in the way of living normal lives.

While most 6-year-olds only have primary school to contend with, Abby and Brittany Hensel were garnering fame from an early age. They appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in April 1996 and graced the cover of "Life" with the caption "One Body, Two Souls." As they grew into their teens, the sisters became the subjects of several documentaries and TV specials. In "Joined for Life: Abby and Brittany turn 16," the sisters, who routinely speak in sync and finish each other's sentences, said they made the film "so people wouldn't have to always stare and take pictures." "Cause we don't like it when they take pictures ... so they just know who we are," they said (via Newsweek).

The 2012 TLC show "Abby & Brittany" (which you might have forgot existed) showcased the Hensel sisters' everyday lives in Minnesota and travels in Europe. "People have been curious about us since we were born, for obvious reasons," they said on the show (via Hello!). "Abby & Brittany" showed them living their lives as anyone else would, like riding a moped and graduating college. "Like every mum would hope for, you want them to be successful and to be happy and healthy as they're being successful and that's what I want," Patty Hensel told the BBC in 2013.

Abby and Brittney were encouraged from a young age. "We were raised to believe we could do anything we wanted to do," the twins said in "Abby & Brittany" (via Hello!). Following their hearts led them to teaching. Although they each have their own teaching licenses, unfortunately, Abby and Brittany are only paid one salary. "Obviously right away we understand that we are going to get one salary because we're doing the job of one person," Abby told the BBC in 2013. "As maybe experience comes in we'd like to negotiate a little bit, considering we have two degrees and because we are able to give two different perspectives or teach in two different ways." They work well together and allow each other to lean into their strengths. "Math and science is kind of my strong point," Abby said on "Abby & Brittany" (via E!). "Where Brittany is more focused on the language arts, reading — stuff like that." 

Paul Good, the principal of the school Abby and Brittany were hired at, had nothing but praise for the twins and hoped their fearlessness could serve as inspiration for their students. "I don't think there's anything that they won't try or something that they couldn't be able to do if they really wanted to," he told the BBC. "To bring that to children, especially kids who might be struggling, that's very special, that's learnt through lived example." As of this writing, the sisters are still teaching fifth grade in Minnesota.

Since "Abby & Brittany" aired, the twins have lived a somewhat private life. While Abby Hensel and Josh Bowling, an army veteran and nurse, married in 2021, their nuptials didn't make headlines until 2024 when Today reported it. Before that, they had uploaded a video to Tik Tok in 2023 that included a wedding photo. While their Facebook is now private, People noted earlier in 2024 that their profile image featured the women in a wedding dress while hand in hand with Bowling.

When they were younger, the twins expressed interest in becoming mothers one day. "Yeah, we're going to be moms," Brittany said in "Joined for Life." "We haven't thought about how being moms is going to work yet. But we're just 16 — we don't need to think about that right now." Now, Abby is stepmother to Bowling's young daughter.