When 62-year-old conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell passed away on April 7, 2024, even the Guinness World Records got devastated. Being born with partially fused skulls, the siblings did not have an ordinary start—but they made every waking moment extraordinary up to the end, not only for themselves but also for the millions of people who watched their inspiring journey in life.
Born in Pennsylvania, USA on September 18, 1961, Lori and George (formerly named Dori) were joined at the head, sharing vital blood vessels and at least 30 percent of their brains (the frontal and parietal lobes). Despite having separate bodies, Lori could walk while George had spina bifida and had to use a wheeled stool that the former would push and steer.
Still, the two worked hard to live life to the fullest; opting to be on their own since they were 24 while pursuing different careers, chasing different dreams, and being in different relationships.
In a 1997 documentary made by award-winning filmmaker Antony Thomas, the twins showed how they acted like two capable individuals each day, touching hearts and inspiring many people around the world.
“When we first met this pair, all of us had doubts about our right to remain here and film. Could Lori and Reba (George nickname that time) add anything to our understanding of twins beyond the vicarious appeal of the freak show? After a few minutes in their presence, all of those doubts disappear,” the host expressed.
Both siblings lived independently, having a room in their two-bedroom Pennsylvania apartment. Alternating nights spent in each room, they took turns practicing their separate hobbies. The two excelled at respecting one another’s privacy, effectively “zoning out” when in each other’s room.
They also practiced taking a bath separately with shower curtain as a barrier. While one of them showered, the other just stood outside.
“Just because we cannot get up and walk away from each other doesn’t mean we cannot have solitude from other people or ourselves. People who are conjoined can have a very private life,” Lori said.
“If you love the person you’re with and you respect them, you’re gonna give them the privacy and compromise in situations that you want them to give you,” George added.
George relished a successful career as a country singer while Lori was a trophy-winning ten-pin bowler. In the 1990s, Lori also worked at a hospital laundry, arranging her schedule around George’s international gigs which included shows in Japan and Germany.
“That’s the whole thing, compromise. And that you don’t get everything you want right when you want it and two individuals can live with that. And if two (conjoined) individuals can live with that, then two separate individuals can live like that, too,” Lori expressed.
For many years, Lori and George were the world’s “oldest living conjoined twins” and “oldest female conjoined twins ever”. In 2007, the siblings became the world’s “first same-sex conjoined twins to identify as different genders” after George started presenting as a man after revealing himself to be transgender.
Up to the end of their lives, the twins repeatedly said no whenever asked if they think they should have undergone the risky medical procedure that might have separated them. George once stated, “Would we be separated? Absolutely not. My theory is: why fix what is not broken?”
“The twins defied all the predictions of medical professionals who said that they wouldn’t live past the age of 30. They became the ‘oldest female conjoined twins ever’ in 2015, overtaking Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapova who died aged 53,” Guinness wrote.
Watch the 1997 documentary about Lori and George:
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