Formerly Conjoined Twins Ballenie and Bellanie Camacho Thriving After Separation Surgery at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital

A little more than a year after their groundbreaking separation surgery at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth), formerly conjoined twins Ballenie and Bellanie Camacho are happy, healthy, and exceeding expectations as they meet growth milestones that seemed unattainable at birth. 

Ballenie and Bellanie were connected at the sacrum, a triangular bone at the base of the spine. They had gastrointestinal, urinary, neurologic and orthopedic connections as well as a shared branch of the hypogastric artery, which is the main supplier of blood to the pelvic region, hips, thighs and reproductive organs. 

The landmark surgery, the first separation of conjoined twins ever performed at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital and one of the few such procedures ever completed in New York State, started the morning of January 17, 2017 and was completed 21 hours later on January 18. More than 50 medical professionals collaborated during the marathon procedure. 

The multidisciplinary surgery that separated Ballenie and Bellanie – and put them on courses for better lives – occurred a few weeks prior to their first birthdays. Today, Ballenie and Bellanie Formerly conjoined twins Ballenie and Bellanie Camacho recently returned to Maria Fareri Children's Hospital with parents Laurilin and Abel are curious toddlers, exploring, growing and playfully testing their parents' patience. And Mom and Dad couldn't be more thrilled. 

"Bellanie is talking, walking and getting into everything," shared Laurilin Celadilla Marte, the mother of Ballenie and Bellanie. "She's strong and determined; a real handful. That's typical of a two-year-old, but Bellanie and her sister were anything but typical. Their spinal cords were connected. Her personal freedom and mobility was something I could only dream of before the surgery." 

Always seen with a smile on her face, Ballenie is crawling and like her sister, continues to hit growth milestones. "Ballenie is challenged more than her sister, due to their original unequal development, but she is making tremendous progress and I am overwhelmed by her fortitude and the progress that results from it," said Marino Abel Camacho, Ballanie and Bellanie's father. "We were supremely confident in the clinical team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital going into the surgery and our confidence was rewarded with brighter futures for our daughters. 

"Health, happiness and opportunity; that's all a parent wants for their child. Ballenie and Bellanie are now endowed with these attributes, and Laurilin and I cherish them all." 

"There was no roadmap to follow for this surgery," explained Michael Gewitz, MD, the William Russell McCurdy Physician-in-Chief of Maria Fareri Children's Hospital. "Each set of conjoined twins has its own unique anatomical nuances even given how rare this occurs – only one set for every 200,000 births. These girls were pygopagus twins – joined at the lower back - which are rarer still, making up only six percent of an already small subset. 

"With so many pediatric subspecialties involved the effort was Herculean," continued Gewitz. "But the entire team at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital was up for the challenge. Pediatric surgeons and medical specialists, nurses and numerous other staff prepared for months. The procedure was a momentous event, a true symphony of advanced pediatric care. We appreciate the faith placed in our team by Laurilin and Abel and are thrilled to have altered Ballenie (left) and Bellanie Camacho before separation procedure positively the lives of Ballenie and Bellanie. All of us are eager for them grow up and experience life to the fullest of their capacities." 

Ballenie and Bellanie's journey to surgery is chronicled in the short feature: The Story Behind Maria Fareri Children's Hospital's Successful Separation of Conjoined Twins

Since the surgery Ballenie and Bellanie, nicknamed Las Maripositas (the "Little Butterflies") by their parents, have been receiving follow-up care and rehabilitation services. This care continues and the family expects to return to their native Dominican Republic in the near future.

Formerly conjoined twins Ballenie and Bellanie Camacho recently returned to Maria Fareri Children's Hospital with parents Laurilin and Abel

Ballenie (left) and Bellanie Camacho before separation procedure