Story of Couple Carrying Conjoined Twins Ends Sadly

Florence residents Van & Tracy Rowell discovered they were pregnant with Omphalopagus conjoined twins in early February of this year. The initial diagnosis at MUSC just 13 weeks into the pregnancy wasn’t very hopeful. Twenty weeks into the pregnancy the couple learned the heartbreaking news...

Florence, SC (PRWEB) April 15, 2006 -- Van & Tracy Rowell discovered they were pregnant with conjoined twins in early February of this year. The initial diagnosis at MUSC in Charleston just 13 weeks into the pregnancy wasn't very hopeful.

Only 1 birth in 200,000 are conjoined twins. Of all conjoined twin conceptions, 60% are stillborn and only 25% survive longer than one day after birth. The Rowell twins were Omphalopagus conjoined twins fused from mid-chest to abdomen and shared a liver. Each had its own heart but whether or not they shared a pericardium (protective sac surrounding the heart) was inconclusive.

Subsequent check-ups were positive as the twins grew equally at a normal rate and some of the diagnosed problems improved such as the strength of one twin's heart which had an irregular heartbeat and lower heart rate than the other twin. 70% of conjoined twins are female and once confirmed, the Rowell twins were given the names Faith Anne & Vanna Love Rowell.

News of the conjoined Rowell twins (http://www.rowelltwins.com) quickly spread as the couple reached out to family, friends and church members who shared the news with others. Just 3 days after sharing the news, the couple began receiving email, cards and calls from all over the world.

To share news of the twins' progress, the couple created a website and blog to chronicle their journey carrying conjoined twins (http://journal.rowelltwins.com). “We've never experienced such an outpouring of love and prayer. It's been humbling to hear of entire churches and Christian schools praying daily for Faith & Vanna and our family. Amazingly, we've had over 20,000 unique visitors to the website since February 6, 2006,” commented Van Rowell, father of the twins.

The couple remained hopeful and plans were even underway for the twins' care after delivery. Twenty weeks into the pregnancy, the couple learned the heartbreaking news that the twins had passed away.

The couple's sister-in-law, Shannon Wright (http://www.rowelltwins.com/Marathon_Fundraiser.html), announced after learning the twins were conjoined to help offset expenses by asking people to sponsor her as she planned to run in the upcoming Country Music Marathon (http://www.cmmarathon.com/home.html) in Nashville, TN on April 29, 2006. Shannon still plans to run the marathon in memory of Faith and Vanna and is still seeking donations to help the family with expenses already incurred.

Support from everyone learning the story has been inspiring. Tracy Rowell, the twins' mother added, “We are so grateful to everyone and even though our hearts are grieving, we feel so blessed to have been given the chance to know Faith and Vanna. It's amazing to see how they were able to touch lives all around the world in such a short time.”

Contact for more on this topic: Van Rowell. Direct line: (843) 629-0629. Other helpful information can be found at: (http://www.rowelltwins.com).

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