1
Twins are a rare enough occurrence, but triplets are a special event indeed! And these triplets faced some very difficult odds when they were born. The sisters Mackenzie, Macy, and Madeline made headlines as the second case in the entire world in which two of the three children were born as conjoined twins.
Their futures were uncertain, and these girls had to fight hard to survive.
The delivery of Mackenzie, Macy, and Madeline wasn’t an easy one. And unfortunately, their mother suffered complications from the delivery.
What’s more is that two of the three girls were conjoined at the hip. Doctors weren’t sure what the future looked like for these girls.
Article continues on the next pages
2
Of all triplet births, theirs is only the second known case in which two of the children came into the world as conjoined twins. Against all odds, Macy and Mackenzie survived the critical first days after being born.
Unfortunately, their biological mother was unable to care for the children. They were therefore given over to the loving custody of Darla and Jeff Garrison. They were already the parents of three sons but were overjoyed at the chance to expand their family.
3
The decision was made to separate Mackenzie and Macy in order to give them both the chance to lead independent lives
4
To make the operation easier, their skin had to first be stretched with skin expanders. In a 24-hour-long, high-risk procedure, the nine-month-old girls were separated with great care and precision. Happily, the operation was a complete success.
Mackenzie and Macy were each left with only one leg; but with the help of custom-made prosthetics, it’s no problem for them. Physiotherapy will help them later to get around without assistance. What is much more important: both are alive!
Two years after the operation, Darla and Jeff were given the green light to adopt all three sisters. Together with their sons, the new family of eight live all together on a farm in Iowa. The girls even have their own horse! They are healthy and happy and love to frolic around.