Conjoined twins to be separated - WLOX

NEW YORK (CNN) - Conjoined twins will get a chance at separate lives Thursday.

The risky surgery started in the morning at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, and it could last up to 20 hours.

The parents of the 13-month-old boys spoke Tuesday to CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta about the procedure, in order to honor the medical staff working so hard to help their young sons.

Anias and Jadon McDonald's birth was exceedingly rare. They are joined at the head, called craniopagus twins, which occurs in one out of every 2.5 million births.

They rarely survive past the age of 2 if not separated.

"We had the boys, of course, and they were normal little boys, just like two, any other two little babies you would see, except for being conjoined," said their father, Christian McDonald.

Nicole McDonald, their mother, got emotional while talking about her beautiful, perfect boys.

"They play; they're crazy," she said. "Jadon tries to roll off the bed and drag Anias with him. Anias talks, and my favorite thing is to sit here and hear them talking with each other down the hallway. They talk back and forth and they, they just - they're beautiful."

Jadon is the more rambunctious one. Anias is quiet, inquisitive and he's had to struggle more.

"He's really bared the brunt of the burden," their mom said. "He's got breathing issues and feeding issues, and he has some vision issues. In the beginning, his hearing was off. He's gone through heart failures; he's had seizures. He has had so much happen in the last year and he just … it just rolls right off his back. He just keeps on going."

Two days before their twins are to be separated, Nicole and Christian McDonald said they are excited.

"We're excited and anxious to finally have the big day here and feeling good," Christian McDonald said.

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