The world’s oldest conjoined twins, Lori and George Schappell, have sadly passed away. The twins breathed their last at a hospital in Pennsylvania, although the precise cause of their demise, which reportedly occurred last Sunday, has not been disclosed.
Lori and George were born in 1961, joined partially at the skull and sharing 30% of their brains, specifically the parietal and frontal lobes. Despite initial predictions that they wouldn’t live past 30, they defied expectations, living more than twice that long.
“Despite their physical challenges, Lori and George pursued their own interests,” shared a source close to the family. “George, who relied on Lori for mobility in a wheelchair due to being unable to walk, followed a career path as a country singer. Meanwhile, Lori excelled in bowling, earning trophies for her skill.”
In a remarkable turn, George, originally named Dori, publicly came out as a transgender man in 2007, changing his name from Reba, a name he adopted because of his dislike for their rhyming names. This historic moment made them the first same-sex conjoined twins to identify as different genders.
The twins shared a 2-bedroom apartment in Pennsylvania, where they alternated nights spent in each room in an effort to maintain as much independence as possible.
Throughout their lives, Lori and George made appearances on several television shows, including “Jerry Springer,” “The Maury Povich Show,” and “The Howard Stern Radio Show,” and they were also the subjects of documentaries.
Lori and George are survived by their father, six siblings, and numerous nieces and nephews.
