Chelsea Torres has opened up about the decision not to separate her conjoined twin daughters, Callie and Carter, who were given just 24 hours to live when they were born in Idaho in January 2017. The girls are joined at the chest and abdomen, and are now nine years old and recently started a new school year.

Why she refused to separate them

Speaking to This Morning, Chelsea said the family was called into the doctors' office when the girls were just three days old. She recalled: "They advised us at 3 days old to come into the office and talk with them. And they said, do not separate the girls." She said that advice went against what "a lot of doctors and a lot of surgeons" had suggested. When the twins were around three, the family faced the question again, with the option of separating them while they were young enough not to remember it. Chelsea said they chose another route: "We decided to ultimately give them the option whenever they became older and understood the risks and the surgery."

Finding out, and the early days

Chelsea was 8 weeks and 3 days pregnant when she learned she was expecting conjoined twins. She said the doctors were quiet at first before telling the couple the babies were "stuck together", and that her reaction was "complete shock". After the birth she was recovering from major surgery and did not see her daughters until about 18 hours later. She said she worried she did not have enough time with them, but that the girls "just kept thriving and they just kept going", and the family was eventually able to take them home.

Learning to walk, and everyday life

Walking took time. Chelsea explained that the leg underneath is the one the girls control, so at first it felt as though they were "picking up one leg and floating in the air". She said it was "really hard" to get them walking, but that they now manage "perfect". Another surprise was clothing, with Chelsea saying she had not realised how hard it would be to find ready-made outfits, something people "do not think about".

The sisters have their own personalities. They both enjoy drawing and crafts and playing on an iPad together, and their favourite shared game is Roblox. When they disagree, they settle it with rock, paper, scissors, though Chelsea said she taught them from a young age to "talk it out" first.

Looking ahead

Chelsea said she is nervous about the teenage years and dating. The family is also thinking about getting a service dog, which she hopes could help with tasks such as getting things off the counter and turning on lights. She said her daughters have taught her patience, not only with them but with the public too, because "people stare". She also runs an online page for the girls, which she started to connect with other parents of conjoined twins after messages from her personal account were not getting through. Having the page, she said, made her seem "authentic" and helped people find her.