Conjoined twins due for separation in September

All being well, conjoined twins Azora and Azaria Elson are expected to undergo separation surgery at the University Hospital of the West Indies this September.

Their mother Iesha McMurray was all bubbly as she shared the welcomed news with THE STAR yesterday.

"We had a meeting and I was told that doctors are coming from the US, [and] there will be doctors for Bustamante Hospital [for Children] as well. It was supposed to be the ending of this month but the date was changed to September," she said, noting that she does not know the exact date.

"Mi very excited and when mi hear say it was this month, mi did even more excited. Mi hopes drop a little bit when the date change again, but mi really anxious and excited. I am waiting on an invoice to purchase one of the things for the surgery, " she said.

Azora and Azaria are now seven months old. The twins were born at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital via C-section on November 7. Over the past five decades, there have been about two cases of conjoined twins locally - one pregnancy was terminated, and in the other case, the babies died shortly after birth. The Elson twins are joined at the abdomen and share some of the abdominal skin, components of the gastrointestinal tract and an umbilical cord.

McMurray said she is grateful to the medical staff who are playing a role in her children's health. As she watches her daughters strive, she said she is amazed at their strength.

"One of the babies, Azora, had heart and lungs problems, but she alright now. They can't manage to sit up by themselves as yet, but them try raise up. Dem try get up and turn and do every little thing. They eat a lot, so right now dem want teeth. You know yuh a go have one who is a warrior and one who cool and calm. Azaria is the one who beat, beat her sister, but she a fight back now still. Bare lick dem lick each other, but they are the most adorable children ever," McMurray said.