Parents of conjoined twins who were given less than 24 HOURS to live admit they were going to ABORT their babies after learning of their condition - as they reveal how girls are now defying doctors and thriving at age seven
- Chelsea and Nick Torres were told their daughters likely wouldn't survive
- They welcomed the conjoined twins, named Callie and Carter, in 2017
- But the girls defied odds and are now thriving seven years later
Parents of conjoined twins have revealed that doctors were so convinced they wouldn't survive more than 24 hours that they didn't even buy clothes for the youngsters - but they're now thriving seven years on.
Chelsea and Nick Torres, from Blackfoot, Idaho, found out that they were expected conjoined twins in 2017 - and immediately, their hearts shattered.
Medical professionals told the couple that their daughters would only have a five per cent chance of living more than a day.
While at first they considered getting an abortion, Chelsea ultimately decided to give birth to the little girls, who they named Callie and Carter - but they still expected the worst.
Doctors were so sure that their daughters wouldn't make it past their first day that the pair didn't buy any clothes for them during the pregnancy, leaving them 'vastly unprepared' when Callie and Carter defied the odds and survived.
Parents of conjoined twins (seen in 2022) have revealed that doctors were so convinced they wouldn't survive more than 24 hours that they didn't even buy clothes for the youngsters
Chelsea and Nick Torres, from Blackfoot, Idaho, found out that they were expected conjoined twins in 2017 - and immediately, their hearts shattered
Medical professionals told the couple that their daughters would only have a five per cent chance of living more than a day
Chelsea and Nick spoke out about Callie and Carter's journey during an old interview with Truly, which was shared this week to YouTube.
'At the very very beginning we thought abortion for would be the best option,' Nick admitted.
'No one wants to carry their kids for night months just to have them die. But we stuck with our gut and here we are.'
'I thought they were going to die as soon as they were here,' Chelsea said, with Nick adding that the girls' strength 'completely caught them off guard.'
'We were vastly unprepared,' he dished. 'We didn't have any clothes.'
The girls are connected from the sternum down, which means they each have their own heart and stomach but they share a liver, intestinal track, and bladder. Each of them can control one leg and two arms.
Aside from some initial 'breathing problems' the twins were born healthy, and have thrived ever since.
The girls - who recently finished first grade - are now perfectly healthy, and use a wheelchair to get around.
While at first they considered getting an abortion, Chelsea ultimately decided to give birth to the little girls, who they named Callie and Carter - but they still expected the worst
Doctors were so sure that they wouldn't make it past their first day that the pair didn't buy clothes for them, leaving them unprepared when the girls defied the odds and survived
Chelsea and Nick spoke out about Callie and Carter's journey during an old interview with Truly, which was shared this week to YouTube
'At the very very beginning we thought abortion for would be the best option,' Nick admitted. 'No one wants to carry their kids for night months just to have them die.' The girls are seen in May
They are currently learning how to walk by coordinating their movements through physical therapy.
But unfortunately, their unique situation means that they're often subjected to undesired stares or comments whenever they're in public.
'There's been old ladies who have been like, "God wouldn't have wanted those children alive,"' Nick shared. 'Some people just stare.'
Chelsea also explained, 'Kids will come up and just look at them. Some will say, "Are they stuck?" And I'll say, "They got stuck inside my tummy and now they're here."'
At the time, Chelsea said they had no plans to separate the sisters because the surgery posed a slew of risks.
'The only way we'd do it is if a health issues arises or if they wanted to be separated,' she said. 'We want them to understand the risks.
'I thought they were going to die as soon as they were here,' Chelsea said, with Nick adding that the girls' strength 'completely caught them off guard'
The sisters are connected from the sternum down, which means they each have their own heart and stomach but they share a liver, intestinal track, and bladder
Aside from some initial 'breathing problems' the twins were born healthy, and have thrived ever since
She said the girls were 'happy in the skin that they're in' and that they 'love them the way they are.'
'They are not afraid to do anything,' Nick added.
In an interview with KTVB last year, Chelsea insisted that her daughters are like any other little girls - and each of them has their own distinct personality, as well as likes and dislikes.
'I just want people to know that they are just two normal kids,' she said. 'They are in an unusual circumstance, but just treat them normal.
'They like to be treated like any other kids because they are. They are in school, they go to physical therapy, they do normal activities, they ride bikes.'
Chelsea explained to the Today show that Callie is 'really girly' while Carter is the opposite. And like any siblings, they sometimes get sick of one another.
They are now perfectly healthy, and use a wheelchair to get around. They are currently learning how to walk by coordinating their movements through physical therapy
But unfortunately, their unique situation means that they're often subjected to undesired stares or comments whenever they're in public. They're seen in December
'There's been old ladies who have been like, "God wouldn't have wanted those children alive,"' Nick shared. 'Some people just stare'
Even so, Chelsea said the girls were 'happy in the skin that they're in' and that they 'love them the way they are'
'We try to give them their own time, even though they’re kind of like stuck together,' she dished, adding that they'll put headphones on them and let them watch TV on their tablets if they say they need alone time.
'Even though Callie and Carter are two individuals put together, you have to remember they are individual children.'
Chelsea also spoke further about the backlash her daughters received the Today show, admitting that she'd actually conceal them under a blanket while out in public at first, after she started noticing people staring at them.
'When they were babies, it was hard for me. People would stare and take pictures,' she told the outlet.
'I actually ended up smashing someone’s phone. It was just easier to hide them.'
