The twins before separation
VALHALLA – Ballenie and Bellanie Camacho, 11-month-old conjoined
twin girls made their first public appearance on Tuesday, one week after
a 21-hour surgery at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester
Medical Center.
The girls, who made the trip from their home in the Dominican Republic
with their parents, Laurilin Celadilla Marte and Marino Abel Camacho,
underwent the intricate series of operations to separate them at the lower
back.
The rare surgery, the first of its kind performed at the Valhalla medical
facility, went like clockwork, said Dr. Samir Pandya, a pediatric general
surgeon, who said they had rehearsed the procedures before the operation
to anticipate any potential issues.
Dr. Damon DelBello, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, separated the children
at the sacrum. A dozen doctors from five pediatric specialties and more
than 50 medical professionals took part in the complex procedure.
Each child had their own spine and fully developed pelvis, giving the
girls a bright future for recovery, said DelBello.
“They are going to have some challenges from their genital-urinary,
from their bladder and bowel function, from that point of view,”
DelBello said. Orthopedically, they have full function right now in their
legs. I have very high hopes that I am going to see them walking and running
very soon with a little bit of help.”
Mom, dad and the girls will be staying locally for a while with family
members and are expected to return to their homeland in the future.