Full Breakdown
Successful Separation of Ethiopian Craniopagus Twins Hiyab and Wuhbto
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
In February 2025, surgeons at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis completed a 25-hour operation that separated infant twin sisters Hiyab and Wuhbto, who were born conjoined at the head. The twins, born in Aksum, Ethiopia, in 2024, arrived in the United States in March 2025 to undergo the procedure. More than six months after the surgery, the two-year-old girls are recovering at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital in Maryland Heights, Missouri, and are beginning intensive rehabilitation.
Background and Surgical Preparation
Craniopagus twins occur in roughly one of every 50,000 to 100,000 live births, according to StatPearls, an online library of the National Library of Medicine, and are about three times more common among girls. The complex case required months of pre-operative imaging, planning surgeries, and coordination among multiple specialties. Partners in the effort included SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital, the nonprofit World Pediatrics, Lola Children’s Home (Ethiopia), Ronald McDonald House of Charities, Ethiopian Airlines, and additional global organizations.
Post-operative Care and Rehabilitation
Following separation, Hiyab and Wuhbto have been transferred to Ranken Jordan for individualized therapy. Hospital staff report that the twins can now sit upright, work on eating and speaking, and are practicing standing and walking—activities that were impossible while conjoined. They are also engaging in social play with each other and other children as part of their daily routine.
Official Statements & Responses
Dr. Dr. Dr. Nick Holekamp, chief health transformation officer at Ranken Jordan, highlighted the twins’ progress in individualized therapies and daily-living skills. Certified child specialist Molly Kate Adelman noted that the girls remain cheerful and active after the procedure.
Verbatim Quote
“They are now able, for example, to participate in individually-focused therapies, to do the activities of daily living they could not do while conjoined, such as simple things, like sitting upright, and they can eventually learn to stand and walk. They're already working on eating and speaking and socializing and playing with other kids, including each other,” — Dr. Nick Holekamp, chief health transformation officer at Ranken Jordan
