The world’s oldest conjoined twins have sadly passed away at the age of 62.
Lori and George Schappell passed away due to undisclosed causes at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, US, on Sunday (April 7).
The twins previously made headlines when George, formerly Dori, came out as transgender. George had spina bifida and was confined to a wheelchair, which Lori pushed around.
They were born in Pennsylvania on September 18, 1961, with partially fused skulls, sharing vital blood vessels and 30% of their brains. Doctors told them they wouldn’t live past 30.
George and Lori led very different lives despite being attached to each other. George enjoyed a successful career as a country singer, whilst Lori was a trophy-winning ten-pin bowler.
Lori worked at a hospital laundry during the 1990s and arranged her schedule around George’s gigs. The pair travelled around the world to countries including Germany and Japan so George could perform.
They lived independently in a two-bedroom apartment in Pennsylvania. They each had their own bedroom, alternating between the two each night, and even showered separately using the shower curtain as a barrier.
George was asked whether they wished they had been separated in a 1997 documentary. He said: “Would we be separated? Absolutely not. My theory is – why fix what is not broken?”
According to Guinness World Records, they also became the oldest female conjoined twins in 2015 when they overtook Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapova, who died aged 53.
Lori and George appeared on a number of TV shows including Jerry Springer and The Howard Stern Radio Show. They leave behind a father and six siblings.