Health officials in Manchester have announced that the Siamese twin Jodie has survived the separation operation which ended the life of her weaker sister, Mary. Surgeons and medical teams worked for 20 hours to separate the twins at St Mary's Hospital in Manchester where they were born three months ago. Jodie is said to be in a critical but stable condition.
The operation took place yesterday following a series of legal battles, in which the twins' parents had tried to prevent the surgery from proceeding because of their religious beliefs. The twins, who were born last August, were joined at the abdomen and had a fused spine. They shared one heart and one pair of lungs.
