Abby and her cojoined twin Brittany Hensel with Josh Bowling
Abby Hensel, aged 34, recently exchanged vows in a private ceremony. The renowned conjoined twin, famous for her appearance on the reality show “Abby & Brittany,” married Josh Bowling, a nurse and United States Army veteran, in 2021, as revealed by recent public records obtained by TODAY. Abby, who works as a teacher, and her husband, Josh, reside in their hometown of Minnesota. Both Abby and Brittany, her conjoined twin, are now teaching fifth grade.
Born in 1990, Abby and Brittany, known as dicephalus conjoined twins, share a bloodstream and all organs below the waist. Abby controls their right arm and leg, while Brittany controls the left. Their captivating story first reached the public eye in 1996 when they appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and later on the cover of Life Magazine. Despite their initial fame, they lived a quiet life until they agreed to be featured in a TLC documentary at the age of 16.
Their parents, Patty and Mike Hensel, decided against separation surgery shortly after their birth, deeming it too risky.
The twins’ desire for motherhood was discussed in the 2003 documentary “Joined for Life,” where Patty mentioned their interest in having children someday, noting that their shared organs could function for that purpose.
Reflecting on their future roles as mothers, Brittany expressed their aspiration, but acknowledged they were just 16 and not yet considering the logistics.