Isabela couple seeks help for newly-born conjoined twins

Conjoined twins Precious and Miracle Laverinto were born healthy on March 17 in Santiago City. But they would soon need to undergo an operation in order to separate them. Photo by Villamor Visaya Jr.

SANTIAGO CITY — An Isabela woman gave birth to conjoined twins last week and is appealing for help to finance their special needs and an operation to separate them.

Precious and Miracle Laverinto were born on March 17, sharing an abdomen and genitals, but with their own separate hearts and pairs of legs.

On Monday, their 27-year-old mother Rochelle and 29-year-old father, Redento, appealed for donations, saying the delivery expenses via a caesarian operation at the Southern Isabela General Hospital have wiped out their savings.

Redento, a farmer, lives with his family in Salay village in San Agustin town, also in Isabela.

Rochelle said she did not expect to give birth to conjoined twins. “Awan met ti naidumduma a birbirukek idi agin-inawak malaksid iti prutas a papaya ken pinya (I did not crave for food during my pregnancy except for papaya and pineapple),” she said. JE