Twins baptized, quickly recovering

Newly separated from each other, former conjoined twins Lea and Rachel Awel are quickly recovering from the surgery in Taiwan that separated them on June 28.

Lea and Rachel were baptized yesterday in simple rites at the chapel of the Chinese General Hospital (CGH), where they are undergoing rehabilitation therapy for free.

Their 26-year-old mother, Marieta, said she is looking forward to watching Lea and Rachel play with other children. "This is sort of a rebirth for my daughters. This is a new life for them and I am hoping to see them soon doing what other kids do," she said.

The one-year-old twins were born to Marieta and her husband, Andy, 27, who are farmers in Barangay Bagtayan in Pasil town in the Kalinga.

Sen. Loren Legarda and Dr. Vivian Tanunliong, the twins’ pediatrician at the Tzu Chi Medical Center in Hualien, Taiwan, are Lea and Rachel’s godmothers, though Tanunliong was not present at the ceremony.

Also at the twins’ baptism was CGH director and Philippine Chinese Charitable Association (PCCA) chairman Dr. James Dy, who stood as godfather.

Legarda’s gift to the twins were a college scholarship and health insurance for their parents.

Marieta said their poverty had drained her of hope that her conjoined children would receive the operation that has separated them. "I never thought that my daughters will have a chance to live separate lives. We did not have the money for their operation," she said.

The seven-hour operation that separated the twins at the Tzu Chi hospital was sponsored by the Taiwan-based Buddhist Compassion and Relief Tzu Chi Foundation, a non-stock, non-profit organization that is committed to helping the sick and the needy. The group was founded in 1966 by Master Cheng Yen, a 67-year-old Buddhist nun.

"I am very grateful to the Tzu Chi Foundation," Marieta said. "If it were not for them, Lea and Rachel would not be able to live normal lives."

Accompanied by their mother, the twins were brought to Taiwan by the Tzu Chi foundation on April 16. They were reunited with Andy only when they returned to the Philippines on Aug. 21.

CGH assistant medical director Dr. Kingking Tan said Lea and Rachel are recovering "very nicely" and fast, although their surgical wounds are not completely healed yet.

She also said the twins are "doing very well, although what we are working on now is for them to gain weight. Lea is weighed at 7.1 kilograms, while Rachel is 7.2 kilograms. The ideal weight for children their age is nine kilograms."

Tan added that the twins are now undergoing rehabilitation treatment so they will learn to crawl, stand, walk and jump, as well as use their legs normally. These were the movements they were unable to perform while they were still conjoined at the upper abdomen.

This rehabilitation treatment will last for two months.

Tan also said Lea and Rachel were "intelligent" and could understand the instructions given to them by doctors and were quick to pick up antics demonstrated by other people.

Rachel slept through the baptism ceremony, but made up for her slumber at the reception.

Dressed in clown suits at the reception, Lea and Rachel treated their guests to the antics most Filipino children are taught as infants: flying kisses and "beautiful eyes." They also responded to calls from the guests with giggles and smiles and clapped their hands often.

Dy pledged the support of the PCCA, which will shoulder the periodic examinations of the twins at the CGH after their discharge.

He also promised to help find jobs for Marieta and her husband Andy at the hospital if they do not want to return to their work as farmers in Kalinga.

"After two years, we will bring (Lea and Rachel) back to Taiwan for further examination," Dy said. "They are very important to us. They are special kids."