Conjoined twins in Blackfoot continue to beat the odds

BLACKFOOT, Idaho – Conjoined twins Callie and Carter Torres were given a slim chance of survival while they were still in their mother’s womb, but they beat the odds then and are continuing to do so now.

The girls will celebrate their first birthday on Jan. 30.

“I think they have made great progress,” said their mother, Chelsea Torres, adding that they can sit up and say, “mom,” “dad,” and “hi.”

Callie has six teeth now and Carter has one.

Chelsea says they are still taking the girls in for regular checkups, but they are doing well.

Nick Torres, their dad, agrees. He says it took them longer than normal to learn to sit up, and standing is proving to be another challenge, but the girls are doing well.

“They have made improvements and continue to move forward,” he said.

Callie and Carter are connected from the sternum down. They share their two legs and their small intestine.

The doctors recommended no separation after their birth because they were healthy and growing, and that hasn’t changed in the months since.

“My husband, the doctors and I still have no plans for separation,” Chelsea said.

Still, Nick said there are challenges that come with having conjoined twins.

Random strangers online will sometimes ask them questions about their girls being connected, he said. And people always seem to be asking questions or watching them when they go to the store or a restaurant.

“One of the challenges I have personally felt is the constant staring,” Nick said.

Despite some of the challenges they face, the Torres’ are grateful to have their daughters – a miracle they weren’t sure they would get to experience.

They were told early on that the girls had only a 20 to 30 percent chance of survival. They were given the option to terminate the pregnancy, but they said then that they never could really consider that option.

Instead, they decided to give their daughters a fighting chance at life. They moved to Houston, Texas, so the girls could be delivered at a hospital that was experienced with conjoined twins.

And their determination, courage and sacrifices have paid off.

Nick and Chelsea, who have since returned to Blackfoot, have been able to watch their daughters grow and learn more about their different personalities over the past year.

Chelsea says Callie will smile at anyone, and she loves to eat and listen to music. She’s more laid back in her personality and tends to let her sister take charge of things.

Carter is more reserved, but she can also be loud when she wants to be, Chelsea said. Although she doesn’t like strangers or food as much as Callie does, she does love music.

As Callie’s and Carter’s first birthday approaches, the Torres’ are grateful that their daughters are doing so well.

“Having Callie and Carter here, alive and healthy, is our biggest blessing,” Chelsea said.

Those who are interested in learning more about Callie and Carter and their progress can visit the Facebook page, “Beating the Odds with Callie and Carter.”