When the world’s oldest conjoined twins were first born, medical professionals doubted they would survive the year – yet they defied all the odds that came their way.
Lori Schappell and her transgender twin brother George were born with their skulls and the left side of their foreheads fused together in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1961.
The twins, who looked in opposite directions all their lives, defied expectations when they turned 62, despite doctors saying they wouldn’t live past 30.
When the couple was first born, medical science had not advanced enough to separate the craniopagus twins.
But even when separation became theoretically possible — because their brains weren’t fused — the twins were adamant about staying together.
Lori and her transgender twin brother George were born with their skulls and the left side of their foreheads fused in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1961 (photo, in September 2011)
Although doctors doubted they would survive a year after birth (pictured), they defied all odds to become the world’s oldest conjoined twins before their deaths this month.
‘I don’t believe in divorce. I think you’re tampering with God’s work,” Lori told the newspaper Los Angeles Times.
Her transgender twin brother also joked, “Would we be separated? Absolutely not. My theory is: why fix what isn’t broken?’
Despite being bonded for life, the twins were dramatically different from each other and lived independent, joyful and fulfilled lives.
George, who was born with spina abifida and pushed in his wheelchair by his twin brother, identified as male at age 46 and was an award-winning country singer.
While Lori had several boyfriends and invested her time in her passion: bowling, winning many trophies along the way.
Lori and George – who preferred the pronoun “I” to “we” – were also drastically different in personality,
A New York Magazine journalist noted that George was academically inclined, while Lori was more “street smart.”
They also said that George was more career-oriented and frugal, while his sister was a “housewife” who enjoyed shopping.
But despite their differing interests and diverse traits, the couple always compromised for each other – so they could both be happy.
The pair became the first conjoined twins to identify as opposite sex in 2007, after Dori began identifying as George
The siblings, who had partially fused skulls, could theoretically have been separated but were adamant about staying together
For example, George was the twin brother who wanted to continue his education, while later they made time for Lori to work in a hospital laundry for years.
While she was said to be hard at work, the future country crooner sat quietly on a stool.
In the mid-1990s, Lori quit her hospital job so that George, then called Dori, could pursue his dreams of becoming a country singer.
George took the name Reba – inspired by singer Reba McEntire – and performed in venues across the US and even in Japan and Germany.
He was even named Best New Country Artist at the 1997 Los Angeles Music Awards.
As George sang songs like Fear of Being Alone from a comedy about fictional conjoined twins – Stuck On You – Lori sat quietly in silence.
Hidden under a blanket, Lori tried to be invisible to the people in the crowd.
‘ [The audience] don’t see me there. It’s like I have a blanket over me because I’m quiet and I don’t make any noise,” she said.
To further show how different the twins were from each other, George, whose original name was Dori, began identifying as male in 2007 at the age of 46, making the twins the first same-sex twins to identify as different genders identified.
After the two lived in a student residence for a short time while studying at the Hiram G Andrews Technical School in Elm, they were given their own apartment.
The twins often made compromises for each other so they could achieve their dreams, with George becoming an award-winning country singer
Lori did her best to be invisible to the crowd of fans by hiding under a blanket
They even had their own rooms, with one twin staying quiet while the other enjoyed their peace and privacy.
They even showered at different times of the day, with George taking his in the morning and Dori going to the bathroom later in the day.
The conjoined twins even had a shower curtain to separate them so they could both enjoy their bathroom time.
“Just because we can’t get up and walk away from each other doesn’t mean we can’t have loneliness toward other people or ourselves,” Lori explained.
‘People who are united can lead very private lives.’
Although the couple would live an extraordinary life, their beginnings were anything but simple.
Despite the wishes of their religious father and mother, Franklin and Ruth, the twins were separated from their six siblings and loving parents.
From a young age, the couple was placed in an institution for the mentally handicapped in the nearby city of Hamburg.
Explaining how “unfair” the decision was, Lori explained to the BBC in 2005 that their parents were against the idea.
‘Our parents didn’t want that at all. They were against it, but the court ruled that they could not care for us.”
The twins initially embraced the spotlight and wanted to show others that conjoined twins could live a normal life
They started avoiding the media after many of the questions related to their sex lives
Although they attended the local high school, Lori and George lived in the facility for more than twenty years.
Thanks to a chance meeting with Ginny Thornburg, the wife of the governor of Pennsylvania, it was determined that the duo had not suffered any damage and were released.
Lori and George were comfortable in their own skin and grew accustomed to the constant stares of ignorant strangers.
They have appeared in several documentaries and in various shows led by renowned presenters such as Howard Stern, Maury Povish and Jerry Springer.
The conjoined twins even starred in Ripley’s Believe It Or Not grand opening in New York’s Time Square.
Lori explained why they were initially in the spotlight and said she felt it was important for them to show that conjoined twins were no different from other people.
But after a slew of questions about their sex life, the pair decided to go a step further than the media, declaring that they felt “exploited by the modern version of a traveling sideshow.”
Questions about sex often came up during these interviews, especially for Lori, who had numerous boyfriends.
On the Jerry Springer Show, George once said, “When she was on a date, I wasn’t there.
“I was there physically [but] I didn’t look at anything or even say anything. It was as if I wasn’t there.’
‘You really forget [he’s] there, really. He’s in his own little world and he doesn’t bother me from the moment I start a date to the end of it.’ Lori chimed in.
‘I’ve dated men, but as far as anything other than hugging and kissing, I don’t go any further.
‘I want to get married and have children and will only give up my virginity on my wedding night.’
Lore was very open about her desire to have a family of her own one day, explaining, “Ultimately, I would love to have a family – a husband and children of mine.”
Lori and her transgender twin brother George died Sunday in a Pennsylvania hospital of unknown causes, according to their online obituaries
Interviewer Antony Thomas then asked George if he would like to share the intimacy with a future husband, to which he replied, “He would be like a brother-in-law to me, that’s all.”
“They can do what they do and I would act like I’m not even there. I would block it.’
Lori never walked down the aisle. She was once engaged, but her husband died in a traffic accident, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
In 2015, they became the world’s oldest conjoined twins, overtaking Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapova, who died at the age of 53.
Lori and George died Sunday of unknown reasons at a Pennsylvania hospital, according to their online obituaries.
They are survived by their father, six siblings and several nieces and nephews.