Lori and George Schappell

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Lori Schappell
George Schappell
Born(1961-09-18)September 18, 1961
West Reading, Pennsylvania, US
DiedApril 7, 2024(2024-04-07) (aged 62)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US

Lori and George Schappell (born as Lori Schappel and Dori Schappell; September 18, 1961 – April 7, 2024) were American conjoined twins. George performed as a country singer. As of 2020, they were the oldest living conjoined twins in the world.[1][2] Guinness World Records noted that George's gender transition made him and Lori the first set of conjoined twins to identify as different genders.[3]

Early life, family and education

Born as Lori and Dori Schappell, they were craniopagus conjoined twins joined at the head. Although they shared an area of scalp and blood vessels, their brains were distinct from each other.[4] They had very different personalities[4] and lived—insofar as possible—individual lives.[5] George was also unable to walk due to spina bifida.[6]

The first 24 years of their life they spent in an institution for the mentally disabled. From 1988 they lived, without assistance, in high-rise apartments for the elderly in Reading, Pennsylvania.[7] As a mark of individuality, and disliking the fact that their names rhymed, George first chose to go by the name Reba, after his favorite singer Reba McEntire.

The twins graduated from a public high school and later attended college classes.[8][4]

Careers

George designed support equipment for people with physical disabilities, including a specialized wheelchair and a mobility aid for dogs.[citation needed] As a country music singer, George performed widely in the United States and visited Germany and Japan. In 1997, he won an L.A. Music Award for Best New Country Artist. He sang "Fear of Being Alone" over the credits of Stuck on You, a comedy feature film about a pair of fictitious conjoined twins.[7]

Lori acted as George's facilitator. She worked in a hospital laundry,[8][4] arranging her workload around his singing commitments. She said that, as a fan of his, she paid to attend concerts, just like all the other fans, simply making herself quiet and "invisible" while he is performing.[9]

As conjoined twins, Lori and George appeared in a number of television documentaries and talk shows. They also acted in an episode of the television series Nip/Tuck, in which they played conjoined twins Rose and Raven Rosenberg.

On June 21, 2007, Lori and George took part in the grand opening of Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Odditorium in Times Square, Manhattan, New York City. This was the first time they were billed as Lori and George Schappell.[10]

Personal lives and death

Lori and George lived in a two-bedroom apartment, with each maintaining a distinct private space. They had several pets. Lori was a trophy-winning bowler. They respected each other's privacy in terms of work time, recreation and relationships. Lori had several boyfriends and was engaged, but her fiancé died after a motor-vehicle accident. They celebrated their 50th birthday with a trip to London.[11]

By 2007, George came out as a trans man. Guinness World Records noted that his gender transition made him and Lori the first set of conjoined twins of different genders.[12]

Lori and George Schappell died at University of Pennsylvania Hospital on April 7, 2024, at the age of 62.[13][5]

Media

Lori and George appeared in the following programs or articles:

References

  1. ^ "6 Oldest Living Conjoined Twins in the World". oldest.org. September 5, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  2. ^ Atwal, Sanj (6 December 2023). "Aged 62, world's oldest conjoined twins have defied all expectations". Guinness World Records. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  3. ^ "First same-sex conjoined twins to identify as different genders". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d Angier, Natalie (December 23, 1997). "Joined for Life, and Living Life to the Full". The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Sandomir, Richard (2024-04-22). "Lori and George Schappell, Long-Surviving Conjoined Twins, Die at 62". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
  6. ^ Garrison, Jessica (21 September 2002). "Together, Yet Going It Alone". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 March 2023. Because [George] is 4 inches shorter and suffers from spina bifida, Lori wheels her [brother] around on a stool wherever they go.
  7. ^ a b "Best Doctors, Separation Anxiety". New York.
  8. ^ a b "Lori and George Schappell, Oldest Living Conjoined Twins, Die at 62". The Hollywood Reporter. Associated Press. April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  9. ^ Sisters' Hope. BBC.
  10. ^ "Ripley's Believe it or Not". USA Weekly News. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Tona Lewis, left, of Brick, N.J., shakes hands with conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell during the grand opening celebration of Ripley's Believe It or Not Odditorium Thursday, June 21, 2007 in New York's Times Square
  11. ^ "Oldest-Living Conjoined Twins Turn 50". Fox News. September 12, 2011. Archived from the original on September 6, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  12. ^ "First same-sex conjoined twins to identify as different genders". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Dori Schappell Obituary [Note: George is referred to by his birth name and gender.]". Legacy.com. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Face to Face: The Schappell Twins". IMDb. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  15. ^ Jerry Springer Episode

External links

Retrieved from "https://mdwiki.org/wiki/Lori_and_George_Schappell"