Conjoined Twins Prepare for Separation Surgery

March 30, 2007 — -- Joined at the head, 3-year-old twins Anastasia and Tatiana Dogaru are preparing for a complicated separation surgery in a few weeks that their parents hope will allow them to live normal lives.

The girls' brain functions are normal. Both are fast, funny and bilingual. Their bodies, however, are more complicated. Anastasia, in effect, eats for the two of them while, the smaller twin, Tatiana, has the kidneys and urinates for the girls.

The girls' parents -- Claudia, a nurse, and Alin Dogaru, a priest in the Byzantine Church, which allows priests to marry -- saw the successful separation of Egyptian twins on television and contacted the same doctors who had performed the surgery. The doctors flew their family from their home in Italy to Texas to begin the long process of preparing for surgery.

"There is real risk, and we've discussed this with the parents and they understand that," said Dr. Kenneth Salyer of the World Craniofacial Foundation, one of a few groups that are helping fund the surgery.

Despite the risk, the Dogarus are confident their daughters will live happier lives if they are separated.

"From the very beginning, we thought the best choice to live is to be separated," Claudia told "Good Morning America" anchor Diane Sawyer.

Alin agreed.

"The girls especially were in, in God's hands since the beginning," he said.

When she first saw them, Claudia said she was scared.

"I was scared because I saw just these beautiful girls, but I didn't know if I would be able to take care of them" she said. "I wanted to take them home and take care of them like, like normal kids, but I didn't know if, at the time, I would be able to or not."

According to Salyer, the twins don't even know they are different from the average child.

"Children at age 3 aren't aware of their body image," he said. "So to them, they're normal, they're fine, there's no problem. They only become aware of their body image at about age 5."