The world's oldest conjoined twins have died (4 photos)

Laurie and George Chappelle have died at the age of 62. Conjoined twins were born in Pennsylvania, USA, on September 18, 1961 with partially fused skulls, sharing vital blood vessels and 30% of their brains.





They were born sisters, but in 2007 Dory took the name George and began identifying as a man.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, they lived nine years longer than the second oldest Siamese twins.

The Chappells had the most rare type of fusion (approximately 2% of cases).



After birth, they spent the first 24 years of their lives in a psychiatric clinic, where they were placed by their “frightened and confused” parents. Doctors assumed that the twins would not live to see 30 years of age.

Despite their condition, they had completely different interests and careers.

“It was very important to Laurie and Dorie to live independently,” their obituary says. “At age 24, they got their own home and began to travel a lot.”

Laurie could walk, but George, who was shorter and suffered from a congenital spinal defect, used a wheelchair pushed by his sister.



They had separate rooms in the apartment, they slept and showered separately, and had different hobbies.

George had a career as a country singer, and Laurie was a professional bowler. In the 90s, Laurie worked in the hospital laundry when George was not touring.

The Chappelles never expressed a desire to be apart from each other. In their entire lives they had never been able to look at each other.

“I don’t believe in separation,” Laurie told The Times.

"Disconnect us? Definitely not. My theory is: why fix something that isn't broken?" George said in the 1997 documentary.



They have appeared in numerous documentaries and even played in the popular medical television series Nip/Tuck.

According to the obituary, Laurie and George are survived by their father, six brothers and sisters, several nieces and nephews, and many friends.