Lori and George Schappell, the world’s oldest conjoined twins, have passed away at the age of 62 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Despite sharing part of their brain and vital blood vessels, the siblings defied predictions of a short lifespan and lived independently from the age of 24.
George announced he was transgender in 2007, making them the first same-sex conjoined twins to identify as different genders. They traveled widely and pursued separate interests, with George becoming a country singer and Lori a trophy-winning tenpin bowler. In their obituaries published by Pennsylvania-based Leibensperger Funeral Homes, it was noted that Lori also worked in a laundry and helped her brother, who had spina bifida, get around in a wheelchair.
The twins participated in a 1997 documentary about their lives and appeared in various documentaries, talk shows, and even an episode of Nip/Tuck. They frequently expressed their desire not to be separated, with George stating in a 1997 documentary: “Would we be separated? Absolutely not. My theory is: why fix what is not broken?”
Lori and George are survived by their father, six siblings, several nieces and nephews, and many friends. Their cause of death has not been made public.
