Tears of relief have replaced months of fear for the parents of Fijian conjoined twins Jesipeli and Di Cecea Kikau, after the sisters were successfully separated in Riyadh, despite doctors in Fiji warning that the operation carried a 50-50 chance of survival.
Their mother, Akeneta Tacaqe, told Al Arabiya News that she was nervous before the surgery but now feels at ease following the successful operation.
Tacaqe says deciding to proceed with the operation in Riyadh was not easy, especially given the risks explained by doctors in Fiji.
She says the family kept the twins in their prayers throughout the journey, drawing strength from the support of their parents.
The twins were successfully separated this morning.
The twins were born at CWM Hospital in Suva alongside their sister, Hossana, and have since captured the hearts of many Fijians with their remarkable journey.
The Ministry of Health says the family had initially sought treatment overseas, but the cost of surgery, estimated at more than US$1 million, was beyond their reach.
The family was later accepted into the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme, which is fully funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and covers medical treatment, travel and accommodation expenses for the twins and their family.
The sisters, who are from Nausori, were born as part of an extremely rare set of triplets.
They are joined at the chest, abdomen and pelvis, making their condition particularly complex.
Their case is one of only two publicly recorded cases of conjoined twins in Fiji over the past 50 years.
Dr Abdullah Al Rabeeah, who heads the Saudi Conjoined Twins Programme, has expressed gratitude to the Saudi leadership for supporting the humanitarian initiative, which provides specialised medical care to families facing complex medical challenges.
The programme has assessed more than 158 complex cases involving conjoined twins and successfully separated 72 sets from more than 28 countries.
The Kikau family has also expressed its gratitude to the Saudi leadership and people for the warm welcome and for giving Jesipeli and Di Cecea the opportunity to receive specialised medical care.
Source: Al Arabiya
