The Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Westchester announced that the Camacho Twins have celebrated their first birthday and are preparing to return their home in the Dominican Republic. The twins Ballenie and Bellanie Camacho were born conjoined and were successfully separated after a 21-hour surgery at the hospital in January 2017.
“The multidisciplinary team that cared for Ballenie and Bellanie for months at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital remains optimistic about their continued recovery and the opportunities they now have in front of them,” said Samir Pandya, MD, a pediatric surgeon at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital who, along with Whitney McBride, MD, led the surgical teams.
“The progress Ballenie and Bellanie have made since the separation procedure has been nothing short of remarkable,” said McBride. “More post-surgery care along with further rehabilitation lie ahead for the girls, but they are expected to walk and enjoy full lives, a prospect that wasn’t so promising prior to their stay with us at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital.”
The twins were connected at the sacrum, a triangular bone at the base of the spine. They had gastrointestinal, urinary, neurologic and orthopedic connections as well as a shared branch of the hypogastric artery, which is the main supplier of blood to the pelvic region, hips, thighs and reproductive organs.
Before returning to the Dominican Republic with their parents and reuniting with their sisters Linabel, 2, and Sheily, 10, Ballenie’s and Bellanie’s recovery will continue locally with physical therapy and other services provided in an outpatient capacity, yet another sign of their good health after such a complex procedure.
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Westchester Medical Center
27 March 2017
