Local couple drawing closer to due date of conjoined twins
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BLACKFOOT– After living in Idaho for the last ten years a Blackfoot mother never expected to raise her kids anywhere else.
“It was hard for us to pick up and leave 1,500 miles away where we didn’t know anybody,” mother Chelsea Torres said.
Chelsea Torres, 23, her husband Nick Torres, 23, and their son Jaysin, 3, recently packed up and drove to Houston, Texas where they await the delivery of conjoined twins. Houston is one of the only places in the United States where conjoined twins can receive proper medical care.
“(When) they come out you expect to be in the hospital for a year and a half or so and (then) deal with more complicated processes,” Chelsea said.
Chelsea, currently 29 weeks along, said during a routine check up doctors found the twin babies may be conjoined, but it hadn’t been confirmed. At the time she was eight weeks pregnant.
“I was in shock — I don’t really remember the rest of the day at all,” Chelsea said.
It wasn’t until a couple weeks later that the family confirmed the twin girls were conjoined.
“10 weeks is when they 100 percent confirmed it at a maternal fetal medicine doctor in Boise,” Torres said.
The babies suffer from omphalo-ischiopagus, meaning they are they share some intestines and a diaphragm. The twin girls have one bladder, two kidneys and two legs between the both of them.
“They have their own hearts, their own stomachs, we’re pretty sure there’s two livers because there is two gall bladders,” Chelsea said.
Since finding out about the conjoined twins their life plans have drastically changed. It was Chelsea’s last year of school for veterinary technology, her husband was working a managerial position at his job, and the couple was getting ready to buy a house.
“We wanted a kid that year, we were expecting it. So we knew what we were getting into that year,” Chelsea said.”(But) it took off in a different way that we never thought.”
As Chelsea has drawn closer to the delivery time of the babies she has been put on light bed rest inhibiting her ability to do much.
Consequently, Nick has had to give up his position as a manager to take care of his wife and son. The couple is now hoping for any help from community as they experience difficulty managing living expenses.
The babies are due in another eight to nine weeks and will be delivered through a cesarean section. The twins are expected to be named Callie and Carter.
“We trying to focus on the positives of them being here. We’re trying to look for healthy babies separated or not,” Chelsea said.
Donations can be mailed to: Nick Torres and Danneille Arave PO BOX 515, Iona, Idaho 83427.
Dropped off at: Shane Harrigfeld Farmers Agency 3153 E 17th St, Ammon, ID 83406 or the Bingham County Assessors Office to Audrey Barzee at 501 N Maple St, Blackfoot, ID 83221
GoFundMe Page: Beating the odds with Callie/Carter Torres