An intense 24-hour operation separated 9-month-old twins joined at the head, AƄigail and Micaela Bachinskiy. And although the historic surgery at first seemed impossible, God had his hand on these two precious girls!
At 11 pregnant, Liliya Miroshnik’s doctors discovered something very unique about her girls. They were craniopagus twins, meaning their heads were fused together.
“It’s a very, very rare abnormality,” said Dr. Michael Edwards, a lead pediatric neurosurgeon at UC Daʋis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento. “There are very few 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 in a year around the world who have this anomaly, and of those, there is only a much smaller set that the anatomy is random enough to be able to attempt a separation, and hopefully co I dated two healthy ƄaƄies. ”
At first, the news of having conjoined twins in her head overwhelmed Liliya, who was already three years old. But her husband, Anatoliy Bachinskiy, helped ease her worried heart.
“It was very hard. He was surprised. I couldn’t process,” Liliya recalled. “When I got home my husband and I told him that everything would be fine. We’ll get through it. These are our 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren. We already love them.”
After the initial shock wore off, the couple prepared as much as possible for their daughters’ rare condition. But really, the only option was to trust the Lord to guide them.
Doctors at UC Daʋis Children’s Hospital spent a lot of time preparing for the arrival of AƄigail and Micaela Bachinskiy. They ran many simulations, trying to anticipate any and all possible complications that could arise during their 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡.
Finally, the day of the fight arrived. And the twins conjoined at the head arrived safely!
The girls spent several weeks in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) before finally returning home. And as they got older, the doctors knew that at some point they would have to separate their heads.
In her beauty sleep
“As they age, there is an increased risk that shared blood vessels and organs become larger or more intertwined. The upcoming flu season, COVID-19 and RSV was also cause for concern,” explained Dr. Granger Wong, Senior Plastic Surgeon.
At 9 months of age, the medical team was ready to operate on the twins conjoined at the head. They had spent months using all different forms of technology to map out the procedure.
The landmark surgery took place over a tense 24 hours. And it involved a large team of 30 surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists and other key surgical personnel working together. And they did it beautifully.
At exactly 3:28 am on Sunday morning, AƄigail and Micaela were separated.
“It was like a choreographed dance,” said Dr. Wong, joined by Rajʋinder Dhamrait, director of pediatric anesthesiology, adding: “It was flawless, with all contingencies covered.”
miraculous results
The wait must have been excruciating for parents Liliya Miroshnik and Anatoliy Bachinskiy. But they put their faith in the Lord.
Finally, they could breathe relieved. The surgery was complete. Doctors managed to safely separate the twins conjoined at the head!
UC Daʋis Children’s Hospital
Of course, carrying out the risky procedure delighted Aigail and Micaela’s medical team.
“This is landmark surgery for us at UC Daʋis Children’s Hospital,” said Dr. Michael Edwards.
And it’s a moment that none of those involved in helping these precious girls will ever forget.
“After 10 months of preparation, we witnessed what we had all imagined for the girls and we were filled with emotion and joy,” said Aida Benítez, director of nursing at the Children’s Surgery Center. “I will never see 3:28 on a clock again and I will not think about the moment when AƄi and Mica became two separate ƄaƄies.”
a beautiful blessing
Like the body of Christ, all these different doctors and medical personnel came together to do something amazing. The hand of God guided every step of the way. And it is a blessing for which Liliya Miroshnik and Anatoliy Bachinskiy will be forever grateful.
“Everything went well,” Liliya said. “It seemed almost impossible to separate them, but God and the doctors and nurses at UC Daʋis made it possible. We are very grateful”.
With surgery behind them, Liliya and Anatoliy are taking their daughters’ recovery one day at a time and trusting in the Lord.
“Everything is in the hands of God,” says Liliya. “It is not even in the hands of the doctor. That’s what I feel”.
We have no doubt that the Lord has big plans for these two small miracles. What a beautiful reminder to trust God in all things!
