A set of conjoined twins have been born in India - sadly, the outlook is not good.
The brother and sister share a pair of legs, but have their own set of arms each. They share most of their internal organs, however the sad fact is that once their condition had stabilised, their parents (Shivrajo Devi and Chhota Singh) were referred to another hospital in Delhi.
Unfortunately, they cannot afford the cost of travelling or the further medical expenses, so they have been forced to make the heartbreaking decision to just take the babies home.
Shivrajo, the babies' mother, has spoken out about the fact that she was unaware she was carrying conjoined twins - despite several check ups and ultrasounds throughout her pregnancy.
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She said: "I cannot believe my children are fused together.
"I am heartbroken and had hopes that doctors can save their lives but with doctors turning them away, I do not know what will happen to them now.
"They told us the babies would be needed to be kept in a glass box and we should take them to big city like Delhi for their treatment."
Chhota said: "I made sure to give my wife regular check-ups during pregnancy.
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"We were excited to welcome twins but all our excitement has vanished. I had only heard of such babies.
"After doctors at Sadar Hospital referred us to the other hospital, I borrowed money to take them there.
"But I was told there was no need for treatment."
Dr Ravi Kumar Gupta, paediatrician at Sadar Hospital, told the Daily Mail:
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"They are fused from the waist and only one genital is visible which is of a girl.
"Even though the second genital is missing, we suspect the face of the second baby is a boy, which makes this case even more rare as conjoined twins are usually of the same gender."
Credit: Caters News Agency
He continued: "The children are a rare case of conjoined twins.
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"They are full grown and are joined from the abdomen region.
"While they have four hands they share two legs that are hanging from one side and share most of their vital organs.
"Their condition is stable but they need special care and so we have referred them to an advanced hospital.
"They are miraculous babies and very beautiful but as the chances of survival of such twins are always slim, we cannot say about their longevity either."
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Words by Mel Ramsay
Featured image credit: Caters News Agency
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