Former Conjoined Twin Grows up To Become an Influencer Who 'Channels' Her Sister

Gabriella "Gabby" Garcia, 23 years old, is a TikTok influencer who grabbed the headlines as a baby born with a conjoined twin. She and Michaela Garcia shared a leg, intestines, bladder, and kidneys and were separated at eight months old.

The twin sisters had an interesting childhood, but Michaela's life was cut short at age 13. She died in 2011 because of a surgery complication in her stomach. Now, Gabby is sharing her life story on TikTok, where her videos are raking millions of views.

Speaking with Daily Mail, the young woman said she was surprised by the response because she had only 80 followers when she signed up on the platform. Her viewership grew overnight by the millions when she talked about her condition.

"I'm navigating through this crazy life without her," she said. "I'm trying to live for her, and to celebrate her and the short time she got on earth."

@oneleggabbyHappy Separation Day my love ##fyp ##october13 ♬оригинальный звук - lim.

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No Abortion for Mom

The twins' mom, Karen Swarens, refused to get an abortion despite her doctor's advice when she found out about the babies in her womb. She gave birth to Gabby and Michaela at 36 1/2 weeks. While the operation was a success, the girls suffered a medical complication in 2011 when the surgical mesh inside their stomachs, to serve as a stomach wall, became infected.

Gabby survived the ordeal and was discharged from the hospital on the day before her twin sister died. Gabby said in one TikTok clip that she loved growing up with her best friend. They both shared scars on the bottom of their tail bones to mark their "phenomenal connection." She described her sister as the girly one who loved putting makeup on.

Today, Gabby is doing makeup tutorials on TikTok and says that her twin would be proud of her for coming around to prettifying herself.

"I feel like I can channel her through me," Gabby said.

The twin also said that she has been using an ostomy bag all her life since Michaela got the bladder during their operation. She also has a wheelchair to get around since she is not comfortable using the prosthetic leg given to her.

People have been intrigued by her life as a formerly conjoined twin, so she told a few more stories about her experiences. The influencer said that she wants to use TikTok to raise awareness, answer plenty of questions from the curious, and embrace the memory of her sister.

Gabby recalled that people used to call her and her twin "freak babies." They once had a nasty experience with someone who called them out as abominations.

She also shared that she and Michaela had plans to write a book about their life. In a way, that's what she's doing today on TikTok, adding that sharing her story to the public has been "very healing and therapeutic" for the family. Gabby has four other siblings.

@oneleggabby Reply to @antheiamae ♬ original sound - Gabrielle

Survival Rates for Conjoined Twins

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, only 60 percent of conjoined twins who have been surgically separated survive and live a relatively normal life. This condition is extremely rare and only happens in one in every 200,000 births globally.

In Mexico, conjoined twins Carmen and Lupita Andrade, attached from the chest to the pelvis, did not undergo a separation because it was too risky. They shared a digestive and reproductive system as well as a liver.

As babies, their parents were told they had low life expectancy, but the twins recently celebrated their 18th birthday. Carmen and Lupita might look alike and share parts of their bodies, but they have entirely different personalities and are still "individuals" despite their condition.

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