The world’s oldest conjoined twins have sadly died at the age of 62.
Lori and George Schappell passed away in a Pennsylvania hospital and the cause of their deaths remains unknown.
The twins, who were born with their skulls partially-fused, shared 30 per cent of their brains, and defied the odds when medical experts predicted that they wouldn’t live to see 30.
Amazingly, George had a successful career as a country music singer and Lori was a trophy-winning bowler.
Back in the 90s, the Mirror reports that Lori worked at a hospital and arranged her shifts around George’s gigs.
George’s success in country music led to trips across the world.
Back in 2007, the pair made headlines once more when George, originally named Dori, came out as transgender.
They then became the first same-sex conjoined twins to identify as different genders.
Amazingly, despite being joined at the head, the twins lived independently in a flat in Pennsylvania and alternated between their hobbies so that both were accounted for.
They took turns sleeping in each others rooms and showered alone, using a shower curtain as a barrier.
Lori stressed their independence and privacy in an interview some years ago saying: “I’m here in body, but that is it. Just because we cannot get up and walk away from each other doesn’t mean we can’t have solitude from other people or from ourselves.
“People who are conjoined can have a very private life.”
In another interview, the pair argued that if they could be separated they wouldn’t want to be, saying: “Would we be separated? Absolutely not. Why fix what is not broken.
“If you love the person you’re with and you respect them, you’re going to give them the privacy and compromise in situations that you want them to give you.”
Lori and George became the oldest living conjoined twins born female back in 2015 after Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapova died aged 53.
Lori and George are survived by their father, their six siblings, and many other family members.
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