Kendra and Maliyah Herrin have some unique challenges—the seven-year-old twins from Salt Lake City, Utah, were born conjoined at the abdomen and pelvis, sharing several organs, their pelvis, and a pair of legs. At age four, they were successfully separated, one of the approximately 50 surgeries that each one has endured. Each girl now has one has one leg and half a hip, according to their family website, and ambulates with crutches or a walker.
However, thanks to Fit Well Prosthetic and Orthotic Center, Salt Lake City, it’s time for them to stand up to another challenge—learning how to walk on two legs. Fit Well has donated a leg to each girl and is in the process of fitting the girls with their new legs.
Chris Hunsaker, Fit Well general manager, is quoted in the Salt Lake Tribune as saying, “We just heard the story and thought it would probably be a nice thing to do, get them started off on the right foot.”
The girls will probably learn to use the legs after a long process of physical therapy and training. Their mother, Erin Herrin, said Kendra will probably learn to use her leg first. “Kendra is more than ready. She was really excited to get fitted [for the prosthetic limb],” Herrin told the Tribune. “Maliyah was crying.” Maliyah, who received her mother’s kidney in a transplant, is more stubborn, according to Herrin, and has more medical problems.
“I don’t know if I have any expectations [about their walking] right now,” Herrin said. “It’s always been that way since they were babies. We’ve always been trying to find different ways for them to get around.”
