HOUSTON — A pair of formerly conjoined twins is finally at home. Texas Children’s Hospital announced twin sisters Ella Grace and Eliza Faith Fuller are now on their way home after being separated last month. The sisters spent more than four months in the neonatal intensive care unit following their birth in March. 


What You Need To Know

  • Formerly conjoined twins Ella Grace and Eliza Faith Fuller are now on their way home after being separated last month

  • The surgery on June 14 was conducted by 17 clinicians over six hours to separate the conjoined girls

  • Ella and Eliza were born at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women on March 1 at 2:11 p.m. at 35 weeks

  • The family is thrilled to begin this new chapter of their lives

 

The complex surgery on June 14 was conducted by 17 clinicians over six hours to separate the conjoined girls.

Dr. Alice King, a pediatric surgeon, led the surgical subspecialties, which included pediatric and plastic surgery.

“Our team began planning and preparing for this operation before these babies were even born,” said King. “From conducting simulations of the procedure, to collaborating extensively with our colleagues in anesthesiology, maternal-fetal medicine, neonatology and radiology, we have all been working together to achieve one common goal: the best outcome for Ella and Eliza.”

Ella and Eliza were born at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women on March 1 at 2:11 p.m. at 35-weeks’ gestation via Caesarean section. Estimated to weigh 5 pounds, 10 ounces each, the babies were welcomed by parents Sandy and Jesse Fuller and joined big sister, Emilia.

During a routine ultrasound during her second trimester, Sandy learned she was expecting conjoined twin girls. Texas Children’s Fetal Center performed testing and imaging on Sandy to see if they could separate the babies after birth.

“As one of the select few hospitals in the nation that specializes in the treatment and separation of conjoined twins, this excellent outcome is a testament to our enormously talented and dedicated teams,” said Dr. Larry Hollier, surgeon-in-chief at Texas Children’s Hospital and vice chair of surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. “Because of their expertise, extensive planning and seamless collaboration, the procedure went much quicker than anticipated, which led us all to our unified goal — sending two healthy babies home to join their family.”

An hour after delivery, Ella and Eliza were transferred to the NICU. They spent the next three months preparing for separation surgery.

“Every set of conjoined twins poses unique challenges for our team, and Ella and Eliza were no exception, said Dr. Jonathan Davies, a neonatologist at Texas Children’s Hospital and assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. “Through the coordination by our Conjoined Twin Clinical Program, we were able to personalize our treatments for Ella and Eliza. This allowed all of our teams to provide the specialized care that they needed from the delivery room, through preparing for their separation surgery and now to the very exciting milestone of getting to go home.”

Following the operation, the girls returned to the NICU where they made a swift recovery. Three days after surgery, both babies were extubated, allowing Sandy and Jesse to hold their daughters for the first time. Ella and Eliza continued to make excellent progress and returned home just four weeks after the separation. The family is thrilled to begin this new chapter of their lives with all three of their daughters.

“Texas Children’s Hospital was a place of comfort and hope for our family,” said Sandy. “From the beginning to the end, we were guided, informed and comforted. We are so grateful God put some of the best doctors and nurses in our lives to give our girls the best chance at life. We truly love Texas Children’s.”

Texas Children's is devoted to advancing health care, education and research for children and women. It is ranked as the best children’s hospital in Texas and among the top in the nation.