World’s oldest conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell die at 62: Sister and her transgender brother, whose skulls were fused together, die in Pennsylvania – after defying doctors who said they wouldn’t live past 30
- Lori and George Schappell died Sunday at a hospital in Pennsylvania
- The siblings had partially fused skulls and shared 30 percent of their brains
- The twins made headlines after George, formerly Dori, came out as transgender
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The world’s oldest conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell have died aged 62.
Lori and her transgender twin George died Sunday at a Pennsylvania hospital of undisclosed causes, according to their online obituaries.
Siblings who had partially fused skulls and shared 30 percent of their brains defied doctors who said they would not live past 30.
The twins had previously made headlines after George, formerly Dori, came out as transgender.
The world’s oldest conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell have died aged 62
Lori and her transgender twin George (seen as infants) died Sunday at a Pennsylvania hospital of undisclosed causes, according to their online obituaries
Lori was fine, but George, who had spina bifida, was confined to a wheelchair, pushed around by his twin.
He had enjoyed a successful career as a country singer, but Lori pursued her interests elsewhere as a trophy-winning bowler.
She also worked in a hospital laundry for several years during the ’90s, arranging her schedule around George’s concerts, which took them around the world to countries including Germany and Japan, according to Guinness World Records.
The siblings became the first same-sex twins to identify as different genders after George, whose original name was Dori, came out as transgender in 2007.
It was at this point that he changed his name from Reba – a moniker he took to honor his idol Reba McEntire because he didn’t like their rhyming names – to George.
The twins lived independently in a two-bedroom apartment in Pennsylvania, taking turns pursuing their separate hobbies.
They changed whose room they slept in and also bathed separately, using the shower curtain as a barrier when standing outside the bath.
The couple appeared on numerous shows including Jerry Springer, The Maury Povich Show and The Howard Stern Radio Show.
Siblings who had partially fused skulls and shared 30 percent of their brains defied doctors who said they would not live past 30
George had enjoyed a successful career as a country singer, but Lori pursued her interests elsewhere as a trophy-winning bowler
In the past, when asked if they wanted to separate, Lori and George always said no.
‘Would we be separated? Absolutely not. My theory is: why fix what isn’t broken?’ George said in a 1997 documentary.
The twins defied all predictions from doctors who said they would not live past 30 years.
They became the oldest female conjoined twins ever in 2015, overtaking Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapova, who died aged 53.
Lori and George are survived by their father, six siblings, several nieces and nephews.
It comes after conjoined twins Carmen and Lupita Andrade, 23, based in Connecticut, detailed what happens if one of them dies.
The sisters, who moved to the United States from Mexico when they were two, share all organs and limbs below the waist.
When they were born, doctors told their parents they would probably only live a few days – but they have defied the odds and are now thriving.
Carmen recently discussed some of the confrontational and rude messages they regularly receive — including what will happen if one of them dies.
“We share a bloodstream, so eventually sepsis will set in, and within hours or days the other will naturally die,” she explained. ‘But we’re not dead, so why always ask us?’