Who Were Lori and George Schappell? World's Oldest Conjoined Twins Die At 62

World's oldest conjoined twins, recorded in the Guinness World Record have passed away. The twins, Lori and George Schapell died at the age of 62 on April 7 of some undisclosed causes at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, as per their obituaries published by Leibensperger Funeral Homes in Hamburg, Pennsylvania.

The twins born on September 18, 1961, in Pennsylvania, were 62 years and 202 days old and were recorded as the oldest living conjoined twins in the Guinness World Records. The two were earlier also the oldest living female conjoined twins until 2007 when George came out as transgender, making them same-gender conjoined twins who identify as different genders.

World's Oldest Conjoined Twins Lori and George Schappell Dies At 62

George and Lori Schappell were two of their eight siblings and defied expectations of every prediction on them as doctors predicted they wouldn't survive more than 30 years of age, however, they proved everyone wrong almost surviving double of it and little more and living life on their own term as Lori says "Normal is whatever you make of it."

George and Lori were craniopagus twins, meaning they were partially conjoined at their skulls, sharing 30% of portion their brains and some vital blood vessels. They were one of the rarest forms of conjoined twins with only 2-6% of them. When the Schappell siblings were born, it was not possible to perform separating surgeries in cases like theirs, and nor did they ever wish to be separated as Lori says "I don't believe in separation. I think you are messing with God's work."

Despite being physically connected, the twins lived a very distinctive life as George pursued professional country music and travelled around to perform gigs even overseas while Lori graduated and worked in a medical hospital. They describe how Lori used to pack medical instruments while George used to peacefully read a book sitting right beside them. 

As they grew up, they also figured out rare ways to accommodate each other's different preferences Lori preferred showering at the start of the day while George preferred in the evenings, so the two figured out a way to bathe while the other stayed dry. The twins resided in a two-bedroom apartment, taking turns on which room they slept in.

The Schappells were also recognised by Guinness World Records for two separate titles. They were not only the oldest living conjoined twins but also held the record for the first same-sex conjoined twins where one twin identified as transgender. In 2007, George began living as a man, adding another layer of complexity and resilience to their already remarkable story.

Lori's and George's lives were an inspiration to many, demonstrating the power of human connection and the ability to live life to the fullest exploring aspirations, sexualities, to more and owning it all despite extraordinary challenges.