Conjoined twins wey doctors give days to live dey prove everybody wrong

Marieme and Ndeye no dey expected to survive for more dan few days wen dem born dem.

Now dem be seven years old, e be like say na dem be di only growing conjoined twins for Europe.

While both girls get dia own unique personalities and moods, dey rely on each oda to fit survive.

"Wen dem tell you from di beginning say no future, you go just dey live for di present," dia papa, Ibrahima tok.

Conjoined twins no common, to represent about one inside evri 500,000 live births for di UK.

Around half na stillborn, wit anoda third wey dey die within 24 hours of birth.

So to see Marieme and Ndeye celebrate dia seventh birthday wit plenti friends no only just give Ibrahima joy, but also to di doctors wey dey care for dem.

Marieme and Ndeye dey share one pair of legs and one pelvis but each get spinal cord and heart.

Dey get round-di-clock care but na mainstream school for south Wales dem dey go wit dia friends.

"Dey be fighters and dey prove everyone wrong," Ibrahima bin tok.

"My daughters dey very different. Marieme dey very quiet, one introverted personality, but completely different wit Ndeye, she dey very independent.

"I no go pretend say e easy but na big privilege. You feel lucky to witness dis constant battle for life."

Wen dem born di twins for Senegal for 2016, dia parents bin dey expect one baby. Doctors no expect dem to live much longer dan few days.

"I bin dey prepare myself to lose dem very quickly," Ibrahima tell BBC Inseparable Sisters documentary.

"Di only tin wey we fit do na to dey beside dem and no allow dem to waka alone through dis journey. We bin see am very clearly early on say we dey deal wit warriors, wey hang on to life."

Dia best chance of survival dey believed to be separation.

Afta we call hospitals around di world "beg" for help, di family bin land for di UK for treatment for Great Ormond Street Hospital, London for 2017.

Ibrahima bin hope say di ogbonge children hospital, wey don separate more conjoined twins dan anywhere for di world, go dey able to separate dem and say dey fit go back home to dia brodas and sisters for Dakar - but e no work out dat way.

Tests bin find say Marianne heart dey too weak for di complex surgery.

Di medical sabi pipo bin warn di family say without separation, none of di daughter fit survive more dan few months.

But, doctors bin advise say, separation go give Ndeye di best chance of survival.

"E mean to killing one of my pikins for anoda, na something wey I no fit do," Ibrahima bin tok dat time.

"I no fit allow myself to choose who go live and who go die now."

As dia mama bin return to Africa to look afta dia oda pikins dem, Marieme, Ndeye and Ibrahima bin remain for di UK for medical care and di three bin move to Cardiff.

"Not to dey able to go back home bin dey very difficult sake of say you get di rest of your family and your job back home," Ibrahima bin tok, pesin wey be di former managing director of one travel organisation for Senegal.

"Na into di unknown but I no think too much, I just follow my heart. Na my parental responsibility to make sure say dey go get pesin wey go dey here for dem, dat go be my life purpose."

Di twins need regular hospital check ups as dem dey serious risk from infection and heart failure.

"At first e be bit of one novel excitement and den realisation say dis na something I only ever don read about for text books," Dr Gillian Body, one consultant paediatrician for University Hospital of Wales tok.

"Dey get one pair of legs between dem and one pelvis. Wey move up through dia abdomen we got lot of different organs. We no know exactly, but we know some bits dey shared and dey get some individual bits.

"Dey get two separate spinal cords wit all dia nerves yet somehow dey completely coordinate and dey no get to tell each oda how to move an arm or how to move leg, e just dey work."

Clothing di twins na challenge.

"You need buy two identical tops and take dem to di adjustment shop to join dem togeda," Ibrahima tok.

"Dey get two legs, so dey fit get regular trousers, but dia hip dey very wide so you get to take dat to di adjustment shop too."

Di family now don mix into dia community for Cardiff and di twins dey looked afta night and day as carers help dad wit rest support.

Dem dey year three for dia local mainstream primary school, wia di sisters dey get help by two classroom support workers.

"I wan dem to get normal life, play and laugh wit kids and make friends and develop as individuals," Ibrahima tok.

"Dey no need to hide from anybody and as dem dey mainstream school show say dey be part of society and dem dey lucky to be part of dis community."

Di next challenge for Marieme and Ndeye na to try stand and waka. Dey currently dey manage about 20 minutes each day wit di help of standing frame.

"Dey don achieve tins wey nobody tink say dem go fit," Ibrahima tok.

"Wen dem tell you from di beginning say future no dey, you live for di present," e bin add.

"I know say any time, I fit receive call to say sometin bad don happun.

"How long? I no wan know. We go make everi day one surprise and celebrate life.

"E fit dey conflicting but you feel lucky despite whatever di difficulties you dey have. Dem dey bring me such joy. Na huge blessing to be dia papa."