They were conjoined twins, joined at the pelvis. 😱 They shared a bladder, a uterus, fused intestines, and three legs. 😱 This rare anomaly, which occurs in one in 200,000 cases, shocked their parents, who didn’t know whether their daughters would survive. The mother admitted she would rather go blind than see her daughters in such a condition.
The first years of Zita and Gita’s lives were filled with constant care. They spent a lot of time in a specialized nursing home, where they learned to live with a united body. Each of them controlled one leg, while the third remained immobile.
At age 10, Zita’s health deteriorated sharply when she stopped eating, prompting their mother to look for a solution.
In 2003, Russian doctors agreed to perform a risky operation to separate them.
On March 26, 2003, after 12 hours of surgery, Zita and Gita were separated. However, this surgery did not spare them all their difficulties. Each girl lost a leg and had to adapt to their fragile health.
Media coverage of their story, particularly thanks to presenter Andrei Malakhov, attracted public attention, which enabled them to receive financial and medical assistance.
Difficulties continued. In 2010, they were promised admission to medical school in Moscow, but this was cancelled. However, they received support from the President of Chechnya, who helped them realize their dream of visiting the Great Mosque in Grozny.
In 2013, they attended a religious school where they studied Islam and Arabic. But Zita’s health continued to deteriorate, and in 2015, she died of multiple organ failure.
The loss of Zita was a devastating blow to Gita. She continued to live in Kyrgyzstan, where she and her mother established a center to help children with disabilities. In 2018, she received a Russian passport, allowing her to receive medical treatment in Russia.
In 2019, Gita was diagnosed with colon cancer, which she overcame after surgery. She is currently in remission.
Gita shares her journey through a popular blog, where she speaks of the pain of losing her sister and her desire to live a “normal” life. Although she often envisaged her healthy sisters, she has learned to accept her condition.
The story of Zita and Gita illustrates the power of human resilience in the face of extreme challenges and also highlights the difficulty of living with a severe disability.
