Lori and George Schappell were born on September 18, 1961, in West Reading, Pennsylvania, joined at the skull and sharing about 30% of their brains, including blood vessels. The doctors who examined them at birth did not expect them to survive more than a few years.
George, who was born with spina bifida and could not walk, moved around on a wheeled bench that he designed himself, while Lori pushed him. Even so, both insisted on building lives of their own: they went to college, lived in separate dormitories, and developed different careers. George became a country singer under the name Reba Schappell and won an award for Best New Artist. Lori excelled as a bowler and won bowling tournaments.
When they turned 50, Lori told reporters that doctors never believed they would make it to 30. Guinness World Records recognized them as the world’s longest-living conjoined twins, within a type of union that occurs in only 2% to 6% of cases. Lori and George died on April 7, 2024, at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, at age 62.
