Conjoined Twins Survive 1st Surgery

Newborn twins Conner and Carter Mirabal are just one surgery away from being able to lead separate lives.

The 3-week-old boys were born connected at the stomach, sharing a small intestine. While they each have a liver, the organs are attached, News4Jax reported. Doctors at Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville performed the first of two surgeries to separate the boys on Friday.

A hospital spokeswoman was quoted by the Times-Union as saying the surgery was over and that more details about its success would be forthcoming. The paper said a press conference is planned for Monday to elaborate on the next steps for the twins.

An update on the Prayers for Carter & Conner Facebook page indicates a successful first procedure.

“Thank you God,” the post reads. “What a relief.”

The boys’ parents Michelle Brantley and Bryan Mirabal found out they were having twins when she was four months pregnant, News4Jax reported. They learned about the twin’s condition only a week later.

A second surgery to completely separate the twins is expected to take place when they’re about 6 months old, First Coast News reported.

In the meantime, family members have created a GoFundMe page to raise money to help cover the twins’ medical expenses. The goal is to raise about $15,000. As of Friday afternoon, the total raised was just under $2,000.

“Every prayer and every penny is more than we could ask for, but would be appreciated for a lifetime,” the twin’s aunt Jasmine Mirabal wrote on the GoFundMe page. To help the family, just visit the online fundraiser.

Image via Facebook

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