Lydia & Linda: Conjoined twins separated at Korle-Bu in 1999 meet with lead surgeon on TV for the 1st time

Lydia & Linda: Conjoined twins separated at Korle-Bu in 1999 meet with lead surgeon on TV for the 1st time

  • Lydia and Linda Awui were born conjoined from the lower portion of their chest and abdomen and shared a common liver
  • They were separated through surgery in 1999 at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra
  • The twin sisters have met the lead surgeon who spearheaded the surgery for the first time on live TV after 22 years

PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly News on your News Feed!

Formerly conjoined twins, Lydia and Linda Awui, have reunited with the lead surgeon who spearheaded their breakthrough surgery in 1999 at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.

The twins were joined from the lower portion of their chest and abdomen and shared a common liver, as well as other vital organs.

The lead surgeon, Dr Winfred Mensah Hodasi, now 82 years old, performed the surgery for four and half hours with help from his team.

Read also

German tourist who died at Jozini Dam receives heartfelt message from son: "We are heartbroken"

Lydia & Linda: Siamese twins separated at Korle-Bu in 1999 meet with lead surgeon on TV for the 1st time
Lydia & Linda: Siamese twins separated at Korle-Bu in 1999 meet with lead surgeon on TV for the 1st time. Image: gbcghanaonline.com
Source: UGC

Meeting Dr Hodasi

Lydia and Linda Awui met Dr Hodasi ahead of another surgery of separating conjoined twins at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, said gbcghanaonline.com.

Enjoy reading our stories? Download the BRIEFLY NEWS app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news!

The twins reunited with Dr Hodasi on GBC's GTVBreakfast, where he was celebrated for his exploits in the 1999 successful surgery.

Speaking on the show, Dr Hodasi said in such surgeries, observation is critical.

''I was able to put my team together for the work. At the time we were doing these cases, facilities were not the same as today so there was little we could do to see whether they would survive,'' he said.

Dr Hodasi continued:

''Now, the most important thing is to observe the children and then look at how they were behaving and do a few X-rays to make sure that the vital portions of the body could be separated.''

Read also

10 years after being set free, an elephant has returned to caretaker with a baby

Expressing excitement after meeting Lydia and Linda Awui, Dr Hodasi said:

''I am very happy that I have met them because that is what a doctor should do. They are supposed to help and save lives. All I am happy about is that they are alive''.

Twin sisters express appreciation

Lydia and Linda Awui were captured in tears as they met Dr Hodasi for the first time on live television.

''We had the chance to meet him after we were grown up, but we always prayed for him. I always thank God for bringing him into our lives when we were born. He is a great man. I want to thank him. God richly bless him so much for us. I appreciate my doctor. May God Almighty bless him and grant him long life to [allow us] to appreciate him big,'' the separated Siamese twins intimated.''

Parents of the twins, Eunice and Benjamin Awui, also expressed appreciation to Dr Hodasi and his team.

Read also

"The world is blessed to have you": BI Phakathi and K.O surprise a homeless man with a life-changing gift

Watch the video below:

1st conjoined twins separated in Ghana express love for Rawlings

In a previous story, Briefly News reported that Lydia and Linda Awui have expressed deep love and appreciation towards the late former president Jerry John Rawlings.

The twins, who have grown since the operation performed on them in 1999, expressed immense gratitude to the late founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who paid the medical bills for their separation.

In an interview with GHOne TV/Starr FM's Nana Aba Anamoah, Linda revealed it was difficult for her to accept the late former president Jerry Rawlings had died.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Stefan Mack avatar

Stefan Mack (Editor) Stefan Mack is an English and history teacher who has broadened his horizons with journalism. He enjoys experiencing the human condition through the world's media. Stefan keeps Briefly News' readers entertained during the weekend. He graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2010 with a Bachelor of Education (BEd), majoring in History and English. Stefan has been writing for Briefly News for a number of years and has covered mainstream to human interest articles.

Kelly Lippke avatar

Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.