'And Then There Were 2': Conjoined Twins from Illinois Pull Through Separation Surgery

NEW YORK, NY — It was a grueling 16 hours of waiting for an Illinois family, but it ended with the good news they had hoped for: Their twins born conjoined at the head had successfully made it through surgery.

Nicole McDonald, mother of Jadon and Anias McDonald, updated the boys' fans on Facebook early Friday morning.

"He walked in the room and plopped in the arm chair by the door," she wrote of the moment Dr. James Goodrich emerged from behind the operating doors. "After 16 straight hours of surgery, he still had his sense of humor. 'Well, we did it,' he said. But we are definitely not out of the woods by any means."

The 13-month-old boys from Braidwood, Illinois, were born joined at the head— a case that occurs once in 200,000 births. They shared nearly an inch of brain tissue but already were showing such different personalities. Jadon seemed more playful, Anias more reserved. The surgery was risky, as Nicole and husband Christian were told Anias could suffer cognitive impairment afterward. He was taken back into surgery Friday morning at at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center, for additional work on his incision, she wrote on their Facebook page.

"My heart aches for him all alone down there without his brother," Nicole wrote. "Such a scary time to be alone."

Their hope heading into the operation was that the brothers would one day be able to look at each other. But even in their imperfection, the boys were perfect as-is.

"I could almost keep them like this now," Nicole told ABC7. "They're so perfect, they are normal little boys, they're normal, they are perfect."

The couple quit their jobs and moved to New York, where they could bring the boys to renowned doctors who could expertly and delicately separate them. Online fundraising efforts — $161,000 donated — have helped them afford staying across the country for longer.

"I just never knew that there was that many caring and generous people," John Taylor, Anias and Jadon's grandfather, told ABC-7.

The support continues to pour in, as many await word on the boys' conditions. The certainty of knowing her twins would be two instead of one hadn't set in, even as they were wheeled out of surgery.

"When they told me they were wheeling Jadon up first, it took me a second to comprehend," Nicole wrote on Facebook. "I actually asked why they rearranged the room because I hadn't really internalized the idea that there would be 2 beds in here. Welcome back my sweet Jadon. Happy rebirth day."

Still, the joy at this first crucial milestone seems somewhat dimmed by the daunting days, weeks and months ahead. The family moved to New York in February to prepare the twins for the surgery and challenges ahead, including months or even years of rehabilitation. Anias has experienced more difficulties than his brother, including breathing, feeding, and vision problems.

"I should feel so happy ... TWO SEPARATE BABIES!!! ... and yet I ache with the uncertainty of the future," she wrote. "I didn't cry until the surgeons left the room. I was barely able to even utter the words 'thank you' because of the pit that still sits heavy in my stomach. We are standing on the brink of a vast unknown."

Back home, a hometown rallies for its beloved boys and their courageous parents.

"Your strength is an inspiration to me," wrote supporter Simone Prendergast on GoFundMe. "I am praying for your family. I know that these beautiful baby boys are here to serve a purpose greater than any of us could ever imagine."

Photo courtesy of GoFundMe: Twins Jadon and Anias, born conjoined at the head.