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Richard Piatt Reporting A set of conjoined twins, Allyson and Avery Clark, is scheduled for separation surgery at Primary Children's Medical Center. The two are seven months old and are joined at the lower back.
Their parents decided to bring them here to Primary Children's because of the success of another family's twins: The Herrins.
A little overwhelmed by a gaggle of cameras, but otherwise happy, the Clark twins are wheeled into their first news conference. They're scheduled to be separated in two weeks on June 18, and mom and dad are ready.
Mother, Anna Clark, says, "Their case is so simple, and we don't have anything to worry about, but to imagine them being two separate babies soon is just a lot, and it's going to be great."
Father, Kerry Clark, says, "Everyone from the beginning has said this is as good as it can possibly get, it doesn't look bad at all."
Kerry Clark is an F-16 tech at Hill Air Force base. He transferred here from California because of the twins. The Clark's had heard of the success of the Herrin twins, Kendra and Maliyah.
The parents say their other girls, Karlee Ryan and Rylee, are also excited for their sisters. Anna says, "They don't really know that they're different; they just know that their sisters are getting separated, and that they'll have surgery and have two separate sisters. And they're excited. "
Allison and Avery are connected by mostly cartilage and their spinal nerve roots, but not the tail bone.
Reconstructive surgeon Dr. Faizi Siddiqi says their situation involves fewer complications than normal, certainly less than the Herrins. "The Herrin twins were quite involved. Theirs is quite straightforward. But any time you have to bring anyone to the operating room we consider it major surgery," Siddigi says.
It is major surgery that might involve some complications involving the nerves in their bladder and feet, but the family says the risk for them is low.
