This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2006, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Patricia Hansen met Kendra and Maliyah Herrin - conjoined twins scheduled to undergo separation surgery this morning - in a chance encounter at the Layton Hills Mall about two years ago.
Hansen, whose daughters Elisa and Lisa were born attached at the head and separated in a 16-hour surgery at the University of Utah Medical Center in 1979, was strolling along and noticed the girls waiting to have their picture taken. She stopped and introduced herself.
And there in the mall a friendship was born. Hansen and the girls' mother, Errin Herrin, talked the way mothers talk about their children, except in their case, there were a lot of a questions and concerns about the lives of both sets of twins. Each woman had heard of the other and they were pleased to have met, Hansen said.
Hansen told The Tribune from her Clinton home Sunday night she was unaware the Herrin girls were going into surgery this morning.
"I've been meaning to call Errin. I knew it was coming soon," she said.
Hansen was pleased to say her daughters Elisa and Lisa were doing well.
They live at home and lead active lives.
Elisa is a door greeter at the Clinton Wal-Mart three days a week and also spends time at the Pioneer Adult Rehabilitation Center in Clearfield. She rides the bus to get around, often with her sister.
Lisa is a quadriplegic and uses a wheelchair.
Five days a week she goes to work at the Developmental Training Systems Inc. in Ogden, where she attends classes and engages in social activities with other disabled adults.
"She just loves it. They are wonderful there," Hansen said.
Lisa's physical abilities have slowly degenerated over the years, her mother said. Doctors have told the Hansens that poor circulation has led to loss of motion throughout her body, which weighs in at 83 pounds - still her heaviest and healthiest to date, Hansen said.
The twins made headlines with their separation and captured the attention of local and national media. They were 19 months old at the time of the surgery and have since undergone more than 50 procedures. They are adored by their four brothers and sisters and remain close. The girls still share a bedroom.
While the years of surgeries and extra medical needs have been difficult, David and Patricia Hansen have taken great joy with their family.
David Hansen was recently appointed chief of the Riverdale Police Department, and the couple are enjoying their two grandchildren.
The Herrin twins are scheduled to be in surgery for more than 20 hours today. Errin Herrin has expressed her nervousness about the operation on her online journal.
"The anticipation is setting in. We long for this to be over but aren't anxious to go through it," she wrote.
But Hansen, steadfast in her belief in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said she has told Errin Herrin that while the separation process is risky and scary, faith will lead them through.
"You just have to know that things will be OK no matter what happens," Hansen said. "They may not always go the way we like them to go, but it will still be OK."