Lori and George Schappell, 62-year-old conjoined twins, died April 7 at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. They were recognized by Guinness World Records as being the oldest in the world.
Recognized since 2022 by Guinness World Records, conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell died on April 7, 2024 at the age of 62 at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. On April 12, the Guinness World Records committee made the announcement on X. It’s unclear what caused them to pass away.
30 years or so is the approximate life expectancy
Born on September 18, 1961 in West Reading (Pennsylvania), Lori and George were born conjoined craniopagus, that is to say fused by the cranial vault. Medical professionals said they wouldn’t survive past the age of 30, yet they exceeded all expectations. Lori and George were also linked by bones, vital blood vessels and 30% of their brains, including the frontal lobe and parietal lobe. This form of conjoined twins is the rarest since it only represents 2 to 6% of cases.
Lori and George were born twins, but in 2007, George, whose birth name was Dori, announced that he was transgender.
Living Independently
Despite their peculiarity, the twins had two distinct brains. Due to his spina bifida, which causes the spine to not close completely, George needed Lori’s help to propel him around in a wheelchair. They were inseparable but it was “very important” for them “to live as independently as possible”, specifies the obituary published by Guinness World Records. Lori worked for years in a hospital laundry before leaving her career behind in 1996 so her brother could pursue a career as a country music singer.
