Woman thanks surgeons forty years after operation

Holly Queiroz was separated from conjoined twin in 1985

- JANE KIRBY

Forty years on, a woman separated from her conjoined twin in a groundbreaking operation has reunited with the doctors who conducted the surgery.

In 1985, Jill Reich gave birth to twins Holly and Carly, who were joined from breastbone to belly button. Just days later, a team of 26 clinicians, led by surgeons Lewis Spitz and Edward Kiely, embarked on a nine-hour operation at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London to separate the infants.

While the separation was successful, Carly died of heart complications six weeks later. Holly had 10 subsequent operations and a year-long stay at Great Ormond Street.

Now known as Holly Queiroz and living in Texas in the United States, she has maintained contact with Professor Spitz over the years, even attending his retirement celebration in 2004.

In a heartwarming reunion ahead of her 40th birthday, Ms Queiroz reconnected with both Professor Spitz and Mr Kiely via video call, marking the first time she had spoken with the latter in two decades.