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The Siamese twins have been saved!
Bissie and Eyenga were joined at the abdomen
21/01/20 – Bissie and Eyenga return to Cameroon
21/01/20
Bissie and Eyenga return to Cameroon
On Tuesday January 21, the Bissie and Eyenga twins were at the airport on their way back to Cameroon, having undergone final medical examinations which proved reassuring about their state of health.
After a moving farewell with their host family, the former Siamese twins, accompanied by their mother, Gina Martinez, coordinator of La Chaîne de l’Espoir in Lyon, and Dr. Edvine Wawo, La Chaîne de l’Espoir correspondent in Cameroon, took off for their native country.
At the airport in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, Bissie and Eyenga, in top form, and their mother were welcomed by the cheers of a large crowd just a few weeks after a double operation:
- The first, successfully performed on November 13, 2019 at Hospices Civils de Lyon by Professor Pierre-Yves Mure and his teams, had separated Bissie and Eyenga linked at the liver and at the base of the thorax,
- The second, which went perfectly on December 6, concerned Bissie’s severe heart condition.
12/01/20
The departure of the binoculars is approaching
A few weeks ago, we appealed to your generosity for an exceptional operation in France: the separation of the little Cameroonian twins, Bissie and Eyenga, Siamese twins united by the liver and thorax.
Today, thanks to a unique and magnificent chain of solidarity, the girls are in great shape. Each is progressing at her own pace: “Everything is going well. They’re great kids, they’re evolving day by day […] Eyenga progressed quickly, she was able to get on her stomach easily, she sat up quickly too, she talked even more.” says Aurore, the mother of the foster family. As for Bissie, who had to undergo a second heart operation, she is now also doing very well.
Out of danger, the girls were discharged from hospital on December 20, 2019, and returned to their foster family with their mom to spend the festive season.
On Sunday, January 12, 2020, the twins visited the hospital for a final check-up. According to the nursing staff, all is well.
Metamorphosed, Bissie and Eyenga and their mom will soon be returning to Cameroon, where they are already eagerly awaited.
06/12/19
Successful operation for Bissie’s heart
On Friday December 6, Bissie underwent life-threatening heart surgery at the Pierre Wertheimer-Hospices Civils de Lyon hospital. This complex and delicate operation went very smoothly.
The girl’s prognosis is favorable, provided there are no complications during the resuscitation period.
As for Eyenga, she is still in good health and remains at her sister’s bedside every day, accompanied by their mother.
22/11/19
After a few days apart
Since the surgery on November 13, which separated the Siamese twins Bissie and Eyenga, they have been learning to live apart and are beginning to understand the world on their own.
“From a psychological point of view, all the teams focused on ensuring that the children experienced their separation as well as possible. At first, they were stuck together. Little by little, they’re beginning to accept that they need to move away from each other. We let things happen as gently as possible, by accompanying them,” explains Hugues Desombre, child psychiatrist at the Femme-Mère-Enfant-HLC hospital.
Special attention for Bissie
Today, the two sisters are cared for by psychologists, psychomotricians and physiotherapists, who rehabilitate them and teach them to stand independently.
Eyenga is doing very well and now lives like a one-year-old girl. As for Bissie, she is still being closely monitored by the medical teams. In fact, the tests carried out prior to the operation diagnosed Bissie as suffering from heart disease. Further tests are due to be carried out next week to decide whether this heart condition, described as “relatively severe”, is operable or not.
13/11/19
Successful operation for Siamese twins
On Wednesday November 13, the Cameroonian Siamese twins were separated: they are now twins.
The extremely complex operation, carried out at the Hospices Civils de Lyon by Professor Pierre-Yves Mure and two medical teams, each dedicated to each baby – some twenty people in all – lasted 5 hours.
Professor Mure confirms that “each member of the team was able to adapt his or her practice to the atypical morphology of the two little girls”.
The sisters will remain in intensive care for some time, before being transferred to the pediatric surgery department of the Hospices Civils de Lyon’s Femme-Mère-Enfant hospital, for follow-up care and rehabilitation. The children’s psychological and psychomotor development will also be closely monitored.
In addition, a second operation is scheduled in the next few days to treat the heart condition of one of the girls, detected during previous examinations.
Now twins, Bissie and Eyenga can discover the world on their own!
06/11/19
Latest news
Siamese twins Bissie and Eyenga and their mother Mayah arrived in Lyon on Friday November 1.
As soon as they arrived, La Chaîne de l’Espoir host families warmly welcomed the girls and their mother.
On Monday November 4, Bissie and Eyenga underwent further tests, which enabled the doctors to confirm that the Siamese twins were in the right shape to be separated.
The doctors also diagnosed a heart condition in one of the girls, who underwent surgery immediately after the separation.
The medical team at the Hôpital Femme-Mère-Enfant in Lyon decided to postpone the operation originally scheduled for Thursday November 7, as the twins had contracted a respiratory virus.
This exceptional and extremely delicate operation will be carried out on Wednesday November 13, if Bissie and Eyenga’s state of health permits.
11/19
Bissie and Eyenga need your help
In Ayos, central Cameroon, Mayah went through a long and painful labor… Having received no follow-up care during her pregnancy, the medical team could not have foreseen what was to come: Mayah gave birth to 2 babies… Siamese twins, joined at the liver and base of the thorax. Despite the complexity of the situation, the young mother and her 2 little twins, Bissie and Eyenga, survived!
But in Africa, this birth is synonymous with a curse. Some even believe it to be the work of the devil. Faced with these rumors and the prevailing stigma, the mother had to flee her native village with her two daughters, to take refuge in Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital located 140 kilometers from her home.
In Yaoundé, we’re keeping an eye on the Siamese twins
For almost a year now, Mayah and her 2 little girls have been living in a hospital in Yaoundé. On site, the Siamese twins are under the care of Dr Faustin Mouafo and are being closely monitored, but no operation can be envisaged… However, the Siamese twins cannot survive like this. They must be separated by a highly complex surgical procedure.
Only an operation in France can save these girls’ lives
Knowing that surgery would be impossible in Yaoundé, Dr Mouafo called his mentor in France, Pr Pierre-Yves Mure, a pediatric surgeon at the Hospices Civils de Lyon who has been involved with the Cameroonian population for many years. Pr Mure answered the call: taking advantage of his presence in Cameroon a few days later, he saw the 2 sisters in consultation. After a CT scan, he found that the two Siamese twins had the right shape to be separated.
To save Bissie and Eyenga, a chain of solidarity has been set up: the Hospices Civils de Lyon is making its infrastructure available, the Cameroon government is helping to finance the operation; for our part, La Chaîne de l’Espoir is organizing transport, and a host family is waiting for Mayah and her daughters in France… We have also undertaken to co-finance the treatment. But the cost of this operation is very high, and we need your help to ensure that the 2 children can be operated on in France.
Thank you for being part of this Chain of Hope!
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