Formerly conjoined twins reunite with their hospital team

Maria de Jesus and Maria Teresa Alvarez, the formerly conjoined Guatemalan twins who were separated in 2002 at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA in a landmark 23-hour surgery that was followed around the world, returned to UCLA today to visit with pediatric patients and the medical staff who cared for them for many months. The girls, who were nicknamed the “two Marias” by hospital staff, are now 14 and live near each other in Southern California with two adoptive families. Maria de Jesus, now called Josie, spent the holidays back in 2002, in the hospital with her sister Maria Teresa, now known as Teresita. To bring cheer to Mattel Children’s Hospital patients this year, Josie, along with her sister, decided to visit with a few of them.   Reed Hutchinson/UCLA Twins Teresita (left) and Josie Alvarez with Dr. Henry Kawamoto Jr., Dr. Jorge Lazareff and Dr. Barbara Van De Wiele, who led the surgical team that separated them. The twins, along with a team of volunteers, decorated the rooms of several pediatric patients and reunited with the doctors and nurses who cared for them 13 years ago. A tearful reunion took place when a member of the hospital's housekeeping staff, who visited the twins daily during their long hospital stay back in 2002, met the twins again, along with Jenny Hull, Josie's adoptive mother.   Teresita and Josie were born conjoined at the head in Guatemala in 2001. With the help of Mending Kids International, they were brought to UCLA and, after months...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news