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Iraqi Siamese Twins Separated After Grueling Operation

Little Fatma and Zahra Hadar from Iraq don?t seem to understand what all the fuss is surrounding them. For these 11-month-old twin sisters, being co-joined from birth is the only reality they know. However, their parents knew what kind of future awaited their daughters if nothing was done to separate them after their birth. The girls? desperate parents made a plea for financial aid to support medical procedures and thankfully, one of the richest men in the world happened to hear the broadcast. The Saudi Prince, Abdullah agreed to fly the girls and their parents to his country and foot the bill of the operation.

The little girls, who were severely undernourished when they arrived in Saudi Arabia, had to wait nine months until they were strong and healthy enough to withstand the grueling operation ahead. After 18 hours of nerve-wracking procedure, with teams of doctors working in shifts around the clock, Fatma and Zahra were finally separated over the weekend. Doctors reported that, while the girls were stable, there was still a risk of infection, although they were optimistic that the girls would pull through. They were now focusing on the years ahead when the girls will require intense physiotherapy and a new leg each.

The co-joined twins have become a symbol of hope in this conflict-filled region. They were born in Sadr City, a Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad that has been the scene of intense sectarian violence. With most Saudis being Sunni Muslims, the fact that the government agreed to sponsor a Shiite family in the first place, sends a message of peace and brotherhood that seems to be sorely missing these days in the Middle East.