TEXAS – At only 10-months-old, two conjoined Texas twins survived a major surgery and now more than 20 years later they are ready to graduate college while using their story to help others.

Caitlin Copeland said that, when her mother got pregnant, doctors gave her parents a grim outlook. They were faced with the option to either terminate the pregnancy or risk losing one of the twins.

The Copeland parents decided to the take the risk.  

 “We were born conjoined like we were hugging, so on our stomachs. So they initially decided the day we were born they wanted to do the separation surgery,” said Caitlin, a Concordia University senior.

That surgeon’s plan fell through when doctors realized Emily, Caitlin’s twin, was too weak to survive major surgery; so they waited.

“We waited 10 months and then ten months later they went through with the surgery and it went off really well,” said Caitlin.

The results of the surgery surprised everyone, going better than expected.

“After that my mom told us we would only go for a yearly checkup and that’s it,” said Caitlin.

Emily, who studies in Houston, and Caitlin who studies in Austin, are now approaching life after college with each other by their side.

“We’re just very in tune to each other’s emotions at the same time we know how to tick each other off. We know which buttons to push and in what order,” said Caitlin.

Caitlin said her past has helped her in all aspects of her life, from student teaching to ministering middle school girls dealing with being self-conscious.

“And realizing…hey this is a cool thing. I can use this to glorify God ultimately,” said Caitlin. “If it can be used to help other people, whether they also have conjoined twins or whether it’s to help a girl who feels really insecure—I want to use it for that purpose.”