The Case of the Siamese Twins The facts of the case of Jodie and Mary

The Situation Jodie and Mary, the Siamese twins, were born 8th August 2000. Their combined weight was a mere 6kg. From before the birth it was known they were conjoined twins, and it was believed that the chance of Mary surviving was low. The twins are Ischiophagus which when separated up is the Greek for ‘fixed’ and ‘pelvis’. Since the birth, the legal battle between the parents and doctors has been intently followed by the press and is a much debated issue.

The Facts : At birth, Jodie was active and breathing voluntarily with a good heart and chest movement and moving all four limbs. In Mary's case, there was a minimal response from her heart and circulation system before it failed. The medical team soon realised that Mary's heart and lungs were so poorly developed that she was totally dependent on Jodie for oxygen and blood circulation. In other words, she cannot exist without Jodie. While Jodie's system did collapse from blood poisoning shortly after birth, her heart and lungs are reported to be now fully functioning. She is said to have the same mental awareness as other newborn children. Mary's mental state is unclear. However, during evidence given in earlier court hearings, doctors said that she was moving her limbs and had opened one of her eyes.

The diagram clearly shows the way in which the twins are joined, showing the fusion at the base of the spine. It shows the way that Jodie’s vital organs supply her sister with the required oxygenated blood. It also shows Mary’s dependency on her sister for life.