Formerly Conjoined Twins Say Their Life As Teens Is Normal After Nearly A Decade Post-Surgery

Nov 02, 2021 by apost team

Being a triplet is pretty unique, something that Mackenzie, Macey, and Madeline Garrison have come to discover. The three sisters are all incredibly close and are still learning a lot about themselves as they continue to grow up. Although their lives are pretty standard for the average teenager now, their birth story is a special one.

Mackenzie and Macey were born as conjoined twins attached at the pelvis. Dr. James Stein, chief medical officer at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, took on the challenge of separating the pair and successfully managed to do so during a 24-hour long surgery in 2003. The girls were only ten months old at the time of the intense surgery.

It wasn’t long afterward that all three sisters were adopted by a physical therapist by the name of Darla Keller, who was already a mother. She raised the three girls alongside her three biological sons in a loving and caring home in Iowa.

Nowadays, the three sisters enjoy driving around town with their friends, horseback riding, and working their after-school jobs. Mackenzie and Macey each have one leg and use crutches and prosthetics to help move around. They are still close and have a similar group of friends but are working on figuring out more about themselves as individuals.

Rather than focusing on what they can’t do, the sisters look ahead to their bright future as college students and all of the goals they hope to achieve. As teenagers, the sisters have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming years. Read on to find out more about Mackenzie and Macey’s incredible life journey.

Conjoined twins are two babies that are physically connected to each other at birth. The place of connection is different in each case, although some of the more common places for this connection include: the head, pelvis, chest, spine, and abdomen. According to Mayo Clinic, identical twins occur when a single fertilized egg splits and develops into two individuals. Usually, about eight to 12 days after conception, the embryonic layers that split to form twins then begin to develop into specific organs and structures. 

However, this process does not happen the same when it comes to conjoined twins. In this scenario, it’s believed that the embryo splits later than this separation is complete, typically sometime between 13 to 15 days after conception, thus resulting in conjoined twins. According to Mayo Clinic, another theory behind how twins become conjoined could be that the two separate embryos somehow fuse together during the early stages of development.

There are some complications for the mother that could come along with giving birth to conjoined twins, as well as the complications in the lives of the conjoined twins following their birth. According to Mayo Clinic, conjoined babies are required to be delivered through cesarean section due to their anatomy. They also face the risk of being born prematurely.

Unfortunately, health issues can begin immediately following their birth and could potentially develop into more problems later in life, including scoliosis, cerebral palsy, or learning disabilities. Typically the place of the conjoinment plays a factor in the risks and complications that could be involved.

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Mackenzie, Macey, and Madeline’s story has been being shared with people all across the world since they were born. Although Madeline was not born as a conjoined twin like Mackenzie and Macey were, her life has been broadcast just as much as her sisters’ have. The triplets have grown up with the world watching on in wonder as their dedication to living the best life possible with the most authentic hearts has truly captivated anyone they’ve come across.

Back in 2010, “60 Minutes Australia” did a segment about the Garrison triplets and what their life was like during their childhood. They were born in 2002 in the state of California. The three girls were abandoned by their mother at birth. She had her own struggles to overcome, as she was addicted to drugs and was not capable of raising her children.

Not only were they without a mother, but Mackenzie and Macey had even more challenges to overcome as they were conjoined at the pelvis. It seemed like they had yet another obstacle to face when it came to being adopted. Fortunately, Jeff and Darla Garrison — whose maiden name is Darla Keller — opened their hearts and their home to the sisters. 

They were a selfless farm couple who believed in doing everything to help their family and wanted to do everything in their power to give the triplets the best life possible. For Jeff and Darla, it didn’t matter that two of the girls were conjoined twins. They loved them and cared for them and wanted to welcome all three girls into their lives. 

“We felt very honored that they even thought we were worthy,” Darla said, reminiscing on what it was like to adopt the triplets. Darla was completely enamored with the three sisters but wanted to make sure she was good enough to raise them. She began to become doubtful about her capabilities as a mother despite already having three sons of her own. The Garrison sons are named Tyler, Matty, and Luke. 

Darla admitted that she felt “insecure” and wondered if there was someone out there who could be able to raise them more, and even felt like loving them wasn’t enough. With her husband’s support, Darla worked on overcoming her own insecurities, and the pair happily raised the triplets. They have since been able to see them all come a long way in their individual lives as each triplet has begun to embark on her own life journey.

Before they reached their point of success today, the girls began to show just how effervescent and ambitious they were at a young age, happily picking up activities such as horseback riding. They grew up experiencing all the highs and lows of life together and truly seem like they are each other’s best friends.

Even though the previously conjoined twins are physically separated, they still share a lot in common and have a unique bond with one another. They feel connected on a deeper level and truly understand each other inside and out. Their sisterhood is so strong that Mackenzie and Macey even feel like they know what the other is thinking and feeling without each having to speak. Macey explained, “I just read her mind, kind of.”

Mackenzie and Macey have a few disagreements about the impact being a previously conjoined twin has had on their lives. For example, Mackenzie admitted that she feels it’s harder to get into a romantic relationship due to her life circumstances, while Macey found being in a romantic relationship with someone to come pretty easy and naturally.

The sisters also have very different styles. “We’re completely different, which I like,” Mackenzie said, speaking with Truly. Mackenzie typically opts for nicer-looking clothes, like dresses or dressy tops, while Macey is more laid-back and enjoys rocking a comfy pair of sweatpants. Mackenzie enjoys getting dolled up, while Macey likes to get ready as quickly and effortlessly as possible.

Mackenzie and Macey are aware that they don’t necessarily look like everyone else, as they have gotten quite used to being stared at by strangers. However, they don’t think that only having one leg and needing to use crutches and prosthetics will deter them from doing anything they set their minds to. They can drive, they have friends, and they are still learning and growing just like other teens their age.

Although the Garrison sisters have had a pretty unique start to life, they don’t view themselves as any different from their peers. “I do not see myself as special,” Mackenzie told People in October 2020. “I just think of myself as a 17-year-old girl who’s going to high school, who wants to get a job in a career that she loves, and wants to get married and wants to have kids.” 

All of the sisters have a lot of goals that they hope to achieve in life and are excited about the possibilities their futures hold for each of them. Mackenzie enjoys agriculture and plant anatomy, Macey hopes to become a kindergarten teacher, and Madeline strives to become a nurse practitioner. “I think there’s factors of just how I’ve grown up and the people that I’ve surrounded myself with are a lot into medicine,” Madeline explained.

Stein, the doctor who separated the previously conjoined twins during a 24-hour long surgery, said that there’s rarely a week that goes by without him thinking about the pair of previously conjoined twins. “I remember watching them shoot through the halls here with their crutches, and to see them riding horses and taking on as normal a life as they possibly could, is really, truly exciting,” he said. 

Although the sisters haven’t seen Stein in close to a decade, they still keep in touch with him through emails. “It’s been a wonderful experience following the girls themselves and staying in touch with them,” Stein said.

Although the Garrison sisters have been making news headlines since their birth, they don’t see themselves as different from their friends. “I don’t want people to know us at our school as the girls that have one leg and are famous because of their story,” Macey said. “I just want to be myself and go out in public and I want to make new friends.” She continued, “I’ll share my life story, I don’t mind sharing it, but I don’t want it to be a huge thing.”

The girls’ mother, Darla, said that it’s a large relief for her to watch her daughters — also known by Darla as her best friends — grow up since their separation:

“I’m relieved because, like I said, we always knew there were going to be bumps on the road and issues… And I didn’t know exactly what those were going to be, but it is a relief to see just how normal they are. They’re just like their peers.”

Back in 2020, Darla spoke to People about how much the girls love to give to others during the holiday season, remarking on her daughters’ incredible values and big hearts. Darla said:

“They’re just very giving little girls, so they want to buy presents. And now they’re working so they all have money, and they think spending money is fun. They’re very generous.”

Back then, Darla also spoke about the girls’ goals for 2021:

“That’s going to be our focus in 2021: getting graduated and getting scholarships because they all want to go to college. As parents, we have three other boys, so we haven’t been able to save a ton of money.”

Despite having faced challenges since birth, Darla explained that her daughters are continuous hard-workers, not just given their medical history but also when it comes to academics. Darla said:

“They work hard in school. With the girls being unique and adopted, and just all the challenges they’ve had… we’re hoping for maybe some academic scholarships, so we’re going to be searching those out.”

Growing up, each sister began to find her own voice and started engaging in activities that she cared about. They have all made it a mission to never let anything stand in their way of achieving their goals and reaching their dreams. Speaking with Truly in July 2021, Macey said:

“We’re very independent, we don’t need help. We can do pretty much everything that ‘normal’ people can do. I don’t look at myself as, like, I can’t do that. Because I have one leg. That’s just not who we are as people.”

The triplets are geared up to head off to university at different campuses, meaning they will be spending more time apart. However, Mackenzie and Macey are excited about this and feel like it will be good for them to finally have the chance to branch out and really discover themselves. Mackenzie explained, “I need to go to college for myself. I think just being able to be our own self and figuring it out by ourselves is what I’m looking forward to.”

Mackenzie, Macey, and Madeline have had pretty unique lives so far and have a lot to look forward to as they embark on their individual journeys for the future ahead. Even if they go their separate ways, it’s clear that these sisters will always have a beautiful bond with one another and always care for and love each other more than anything else in the world. We hope the girls continue to live their lives to the fullest.

What do you think about this set of sisters and their inspiring story? Let us know, and feel free to send this to your family members and friends, too.