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Christopher Farai Charamba Correspondent
In July 2014 Harare Hospital in Zimbabwe became the location of a medical miracle. A team of surgeons, doctors, anaesthesiologists, nurses and other hospital staff successfully operated on and separated conjoined twins Kupakwashe and Tapuwanashe Chitiyo. This year the twins, born on April 22, 2014 celebrated two years of life and are a pair of healthy and growing toddlers living with their parents, siblings and maternal grandmother in Highfield.

The boys have faced no major complications since their operation and continue to heal and develop to the satisfaction of their doctors and parents. “So far things have been going well with the boys. Their wounds from the surgery are healing, they are talking, walking and playing with others very nicely.

“We are also very grateful that there have been no complications in the last two years which has made raising them simpler to do,” Agnes Chitiyo, the boys’ mother, said. Fans of Zim dancehall musician Killer T, Kupakwashe and Tapuwanashe spend their days playing in their neighbourhood while being looked after by their grandmother, Mrs Chipo Phiri, while their parents are at work.

“They are a handful, especially since they started walking and talking. It’s rare that we find peace and quiet in the home, but they are also a joy to be around.

“They are very smart, energetic and enjoy playing and dancing with their sisters and other children in the neighbourhood. Sometimes we actually have to monitor them to make sure they do not get hurt themselves or expose their wounds as some of the other children are curious to see their scars,” she said

Moses Chitiyo, the boys’ father, said that while they were pleased with the progress that the boys have made, it has been trying on the family as they have had to foot post care medical bills.

The boys require a daily dressing of the wounds from where they were separated and periodically they have also had to pay for antibiotics as the wounds sometimes get infected.

“As a family we have faced challenges caring for the boys since the operation. We currently live with my mother-in-law in one-room lodgings with my wife, the boys and my two eldest daughters.

“There is also the fact that we have to buy medication for the boys and ensure that they have dressings for their wounds,” he said.

Mr Chitiyo was also concerned that their daughters -Runako (7) and Ropafadzo (4) – were not receiving the same amount of attention due to the amount of care that the boys needed.

“Since they were born, a lot of attention has been given to the boys by everyone in the family and this has affected the amount of attention that we give to the girls.

“Runako is in Grade One this year and we are happy that she and her sister Ropafadzo are growing well under the circumstances,” she said.

Kupakwashe and Tapuwanashe have had to undergo regular medical check-ups and treatment in the two years since their operation.

“When the operation took place there was not enough skin to close the opening on their chest and abdomen, after they had been separated. As such surgical mesh was placed to keep their organs in place instead of a skin graft.

“Over time, as the boys have grown, the opening has closed naturally with the growth of new skin. The mesh, however, must be periodically cut off as it pushes out of the skin. For this, we take the boys to the hospital once a month so that this remaining mesh can be removed,” explained Mr Chitiyo.

Kupakwashe’s wounds have healed better than Tapuwanashe’s who still needs regular bandaging.

“The boys are improving daily and right now we have not had to give Kupakwashe a daily dressing though we are not certain if the mesh is out completely. Tapuwanashe still gets a dressing, but both are still being monitored till the mesh is completely removed,” he said.

Dr Gwendoline Chimhini, from the UZ Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, said that as the paediatricians who cared for the children from the time they were first admitted till now, they were happy with the development of the children.

“As the paediatricians we have been monitoring the development and growth of the boys and are pleased with how far they have come.

“We also care for the mesh that was used to cover their opening, this is cut off periodically, so the boys have been coming in once a month or so. This has been going well and we will continue to monitor their progress.

Dr Samson Shumbairerwa, the lead anaesthesiologist in the operation, said that he was amazed by how big the boys had grown.

“I remember that soon after the operation, Kupakwashe was the troublesome one. We didn’t sleep. Tapuwanashe, soon after was up and about, kicking. We took out all our tubes, life support and he was fine.

“The little Kupakwashe was a bundle of energy but he gave us a lot of problems. We actually slept in ICU like nurses. We hardly winced and the next team came the next day. Today though, we are happy to see them alive,” he said

Dr Shumbairerwa said separating conjoined twins was a once in a lifetime experience and there was initially a lot of uncertainty as to how it would turn out.