Doctors said they’d die within days after birth, but conjoined twins are now making friends at school 4 years later

Conjoined twins, expected to die within days after birth, are now 4-years-old and thriving. 

• Conjoined twin sisters were told they wouldn’t survive more than a few days after birth. 
• Marieme and Ndeye have separate hearts, but they share a liver, bladder, and digestive system. 
• Thanks to their caring father, they are now starting the fifth year of their lives. 

In 2016, when Ibrahima Ndiaye and his wife were expecting a baby, they had no idea they would have not one but two gorgeous girls. As Newsner reveals, none of the pre-birth scans showed that Mr. Ndiaye’s wife was carrying twins.

However, later that year, the twin sisters Marieme and Ndeye were born. Unfortunately, as they came to this world conjoined, doctors predicted they wouldn’t survive long. The twin girls were given not more than a few days.

Thankfully, their loving father refused to give up on them.

Mr. Ndiaye did everything in his power to save his babies. He traveled from Dakar, Senegal, to the UK to give his daughters a chance at life. He managed to do that with the help of a charitable foundation run by Senegal’s first lady Marieme Faye Sall.

Today, the adorable conjoined sisters are as playful and joyous as any other four-year-old child. They are now making new friends at their school in Cardiff.

As BBC reports, the proud father said:

“When you look in the rearview mirror, it was an unachievable dream. From now, everything ahead will be a bonus to me. My heart and soul is shouting out loud, ‘Come on! Go on girls! Surprise me more!’.”

Although Marieme and Ndeye have two separate hearts, they share a liver, bladder, and digestive system. 

Living as conjoined twins, the girls will also get to share significant milestones, such as learning to stand on their own. According to their father, their progress so far is a ‘Herculean achievement’.

What’s more, Marieme and Ndeye have completely different, unique personalities. According to their school’s headteacher, Helen Borley, they are doing wonderful since starting reception in September. She explained:

“Children either say, ‘I’m Marieme’s friend’ or ‘I’m Ndeye’s friend’—they don’t say, ‘I’m the twins’ friend’. Children very much identify as being one person’s friend or another—because the girls are very different characters. They are laughing a lot—which is always a good sign, isn’t it? Any child that is laughing a lot is a happy child.”

In an interview with The Guardian, Mr. Ndiaye added:

“Ndeye is the lively one, she likes attention, and Marieme is a quieter personality—calm and thoughtful. Ndeye is fire and Marieme is ice.”

The benevolent father had to make many sacrifices to save his daughters’ lives. 

Starting from moving to another country to another continent to give his girls proper treatment, Mr. Ndiaye never hesitated to go above and beyond for them. He constantly puts all of his energy into filling Marieme and Ndeye’s lives with happiness and love.

“I know there will be a time when they have to go. But at this point they are fighting – and they are also providing me with a reason for living. They are my inspiration, I dedicate everything to them. I will never let them walk alone. I need to know I gave them everything I could. I’m a lucky man to be part of this journey. We are still on the journey. I don’t know how it will end.”

 

When the girls were three-years-old, doctors offered their father to proceed with a separation surgery. However, Mr. Ndiaye denied separating his daughters because of the many risks such an operation comes with.

The four-year-old twin sisters may not have entirely separate lives, but they are blissfully enjoying every single day, making new friends, learning new things, and conquering valuable milestones together.