Conjoined twins, Rosie and Ruby Formosa were given a slim chance of survival when they were born four years ago.

But the separated twins defied the odds and are preparing for their first day of school.

When mother, Angela Formosa had her 16 week scan 4 years ago, nothing could have prepared her for what the doctors found. She was sent to King’s College Hospital where they discovered her twin girls were connected.

The girls were born by caesarean and had an emergency operation to separate them after their birth.

The girls were joined at the abdomen and shared part of the intestine. The rare condition of conjoined twins happens for one in every 200,000 births.
The twins weren’t expected to survive the operation.

Angela says, “At 16 weeks they sent me to King’s College Hospital and it was there that they discovered the connection between the girls.

“I was already worried that they were monoamniotic (wheretwins share an amniotic sac), and conjoined was the worst-case scenario.

“I was really, really, really scared and really upset because at that point I was told that there was a high possibility that the girls wouldn’t survive the pregnancy.

“And if they did survive the pregnancy they might not survive the birth, then they might not survive surgery.”

Miraculously, the five hour operation was a success and the twins are happy and healthy and ready start their new adventure – school next week.

“The time has just flown by, I can’t believe how fast it has gone,” Mrs Formosa said.

“They are very excited (about starting school); their big sister is in school so they can’t wait. They’ve met their teacher a few times and they love their teacher.”

“They’re looking forward to painting, anything messy – they love reading.

“They are very similar, they are very bubbly little girls, they are very headstrong and very determined, which I knew they were from when they were in my belly because of the way they kept growing and surviving.”