Formerly conjoined twin sisters have seen each other for the first time since their successful separation surgery.
Eva and Erika Sandoval have been recovering in the same room, but in separate beds, at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Sanford, California since their Dec. 6 separation.
The girls, formerly conjoined at the chest, were used to seeing each other all the time, but since the 17-hour-long surgery, they have not been able to see each other clearly.
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A video shared by Stanford Children's Hospital Wednesday shows the girls' mother, Aida Sandoval, carrying Erika to lay next to her sister Eva. Eva then reaches into her sister's blankets and pulls out a small red car. The girls smiled as the looked at each other's faces for the first time since their separation.
"It was such a thrill for us to see the girls next to one another again," Sandoval said, according to a post on Facebook.
Doctors say the girls are doing well and have no significant complications. They are expected to recover in the PICU for about another week before moving to an acute care unit.
“Day by day they’re getting better,” said Alison Chiang, a doctor caring for Eva. “They’re happier and more playful and interactive with their family.”
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