A RISKY LEAP OF FAITH: THE REMARKABLE STORY OF ERIKA AND EVA SANDOVAL

For the first two years of their lives, Erika and Eva Sandoval had never known what it felt like to be apart, sharing much of their lower body. Born in California in 2014 as conjoined twins connected from the chest down, they shared a liver, a bladder, parts of their digestive system, and a third leg.

As they grew, their health began to decline, forcing their parents to face an agonizing choice. Surgeons warned there was a 30% chance one or both girls might not survive a separation surgery. Choosing to give them a chance at independent lives, their parents gave the green light. In December 2016, a 50-person medical team performed a complex 17-hour operation. Surgeons divided their shared organs, reconstructed their bodies, and used tissue from their third leg to close Erika’s surgical site.

For the first time since birth, the sisters slept in separate beds. Both survived.

Each girl was left with one leg and one kidney, embarking on a journey to relearn how to navigate the world. Their recovery surpassed all expectations. They learned to sit, adapted to custom prostheses, and gained mobility. By kindergarten, they were thriving, playing, and developing unique personalities. Their mother remarked on their incredible progress, noting how they amazed her every day.

Erika and Eva were born sharing a body, but an extraordinary medical risk allowed them to discover who they were separately. Knowing the tremendous risks involved, would you have made the same choice as their parents?