Seeing the world through each other's eyes: The amazing twins who share a brain

Seeing the world through each other's eyes: The amazing twins who share a brain

 

Tatiana and Krista Hogan are unique - the only conjoined twins in the world who  share a brain.

They are so intricately entwined they cannot be separated. Their family say they have special abilities thanks to the neural connections between them and they may even be able to see through each other's eyes.

Despite their unusual predicament, the three-year-old girls' happiness is evident to all around them.

While Tatiana and Krista move together amazingly well, they don't always agree on which way to go or what to do - and that can cause problems.

Unique: Tatiana and Krista Hogan are the only conjoined twins in the world who share a brain

Loving family: The twins with their grandmother Louise and mother Felicia

The twins, who live in Vancouver, have amazed medical science.

'These twins, I think to our current knowledge, are the only ones that do have a common neurological connection,' said Dr Doug Cochrane, the twins' paediatric neurologist.

"They have this connection between their, what's called the thalamus, between the thalami, one in each to the other.

'So there's actually a bridge of neural tissues in these twins, which makes them quite unique.'

Tatiana and Krista may even be able to see through each other's eyes

It also makes them impossible to separate. Their mother, Felicia, and others believe the connection has given the twins unique powers.

'They share a lot of things normal conjoined twins don't,' she said. 'They have special abilities to see each other, see what each other's seeing through each other's eyes.'

Ms Hogan recalled the moment she learned she was expecting conjoined twins.

But the pair are impossible to separate - a fact meaning they may be facing a tragic fate

She said: '[The doctor] just sat there and he's like, "Um, there's no way to say it, but your girls are conjoined, and they're conjoined at the head."

'And he's like, "I have no idea if these girls are going to survive... You still have time to abort them." And right then I looked at him and said, "There's no way that's ever going to happen".'

Tatiana, the smaller of the two, has an enlarged heart and actually pumps much of Krista's blood to her brain.

The complications have led to surgeries and more worries. 'We just kind of live today,' their mother says. 'We live within today. Forget about tomorrow, we'll deal with tomorrow when tomorrow gets here.'

The hidden killer in your junk food

The hidden killer in your junk food

The sight of French fries, aloo tikkis and samosa's are bound to tickle the taste buds of any Indian. But have you ever wondered the kind of oil that is used to cook these delectable items? In all likelihood the oil that is used contains a high amount of harmful fat called transfat.

Transfats are as bad as smoking, claim scientists, who along with consumer groups are demanding regulations for limiting its use in food items.

Though small amounts of transfats are naturally present in dairy foods and animal products, the most common source of artificial transfat is vanaspati, which has 40 per cent transfat.

Food manufacturers frequently use vanaspati oil because it can be preserved longer, gives food items such as tikki s a solid shape and texture, and is a cheap substitute for ghee.

'A two per cent increase in the daily intake of transfats - which can be achieved by regular consumption of small- sized French fries or two- and- a- half samosa s or one plate of bhatura for about a year - is associated with a 23 per cent increase in risk of heart disease. This has been indicated by many studies,' Prof Anoop Misra, president of the National Diabetes Obesity and Cholesterol Foundation ( N- DOC), said.

Transfats are also associated with risk of diabetes, infertility and certain types of cancers.

However, most restaurants are not willing to disclose the kind of cooking medium they use.

In an ongoing research being carried out by the foundation, out of 25 known restaurants, including a few multinational ones, 21 did not disclose information on the type of oil being used for cooking and frying, while five claimed to be using refined oil.

Five out of 11 roadside vendors openly admitted using vanaspati oil for frying food items like aloo tikki and aloo chaat , four did not reveal any information and two said they use refined oil.

The study also found out that among 150 educated women, only 28 per cent actually know about transfats.

Thirty eight per cent women believe transfats do not cause any harm while only 12 per cent were fully aware of their adverse effects.

Among Indian foods, bhatura, poori, samosa, fried aloo chat, halwa, aloo tikki, matthi, namakpara, kachori, fried namkeen and others are rich in transfats.

Examples of western food rich in transfats are patty, cake, pastry, cookies, pizza and rusks.

A committee led by the National Institute of Nutrition, an organisation under the Indian Council of Medical Research, has come out with recommendations to regulate the amount of transfats in oil.

It has argued that the amount of transfats should not exceed 10 per cent of the total fat content in vanaspati oil besides phasing out transfats 'as early as possible'. Other recommendations include mentioning of transfat content along with that of saturated and unsaturated fat on the labels of all food items and edible oils.

The recommendations have been submitted to the Food Safety and Standard Organisation. The N- DOC has also come out with similar recommendations.

The organisation is also demanding that the amount of transfats should not exceed five per cent in soft spreadable margarine or bakery fats and wants transfats to be eliminated from our diet within a period of two years.

'If transfat content is restricted to less than 10 per cent in vanaspati, it would decrease the risk of heart disease in approximately 20 lakh people,' Misra said.

Many more people will benefit from lower cholesterol and blood pressure, he added.

The Story of "Little Mermaid" Girl

Milagros Cerron was born wit a birth defect.
Her legs were joined together like a mermaid's tail.
After three surgeries in the last five years she has normal legs and is learning to walk.
Brave little girl.

World’s Toughest Rehab Clinic

World’s Toughest Rehab Clinic

Hidden away in a forest, 140 km north of Bankok, Thailand, the Buddhist Monastery of Thamkrabok takes in alcoholics and drug users from all over the world. Unlinke famous detox clinics like Betty Ford (California) , or Priory (London), this Thai monastery doesn’t have paparazzi lurking around, and it’s a lot cheaper. One month at Betty Ford Clinic costs $23,000, while just one week at Priory amounts to 5,000 pounds. At Thamkrabok Monastery, all you need is $3 for food, because treatment and accomodations are supported by donations.

The rehab treatment at Thamkrabok lasts 10 days, and only those who come of their own free will, are willing to follow all instructions, and are comitted to kicking their habit for good, are welcome. When they decide to go to Thamkrabok Monastery, patients must realize they are in for a rude awakening. No matter their social status or wealth, patients will have to sleep in a mass dormitory, wake up very early and take every medicine given by the monks.

That might sound bearable, but most of the herbal treatments at Thamkrabok will have anyone puking out their insides, almost instantly. Apart from the black herbal pills, disgusting herbal drinks, and tons of herbal teas, addicts also have to sweat out their habit in herbal saunas.

After the 10 day program is completed, patients have the option of staying a while longer, to meditate and do chores around the monastery. When they leave Thamkrabok, people must realize they will never get the chance to get treated again. If they leave, and they’re yet cured, they won’t be able to return.

CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME (for every computer user)

CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME (for every computer user)

For everyone who works daily on a computer. The mistakes daily mouse and keyboard usage will result in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome! Use the mouse and keyboard correctly. View below for the surgery of a patient suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome followed by the
RIGHT TECHNIQUES for usage....

Correct way to work on the Computer





Hand Exercises for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome :

KINDLY SEND THIS TO EVERYONE YOU DON'T WANT TO SUFFER FROM THIS!

Ostrich born

Ostrich born

Ostrich...

Phew: It's not like breaking into a chocolate Easter egg - it's a lot tougher and requires a sheer muscle power

...and after a short rest, it's off to explore. After all, no good having one's head in the sand

Titled 'Escape Into Life', the series records the first moments of a newborn chick, the young of the African penguin (whose eggs are laid in caves padded with feathers and bits of wood), the ostrich (which breaks the shell not by pecking, but expanding the muscles of its throat) and, finally, the red footed tortoise (seen here popping out of its shell with mouth wide open as if in astonished rapture at what it can see).

The work of husband and wife team Heidi and Hans-Juergen Koch from Germany (who have specialised in animal photography for the past 20 years) they are the result of many days and weeks of patient observation - and provide a fascinating pictoral record of four creatures arriving into the world.

African penguin...

Cracked it: My approach is to peck the shell into tiny pieces - from the inside out

...so that I'm soon ready for action in anyone's book. Penguin books, even

Tortoise...

Escape claws: 150 days after the egg is laid, a scaly red foot emerges

...and after being buried in the sand for so long, it's clearly turtley exciting to be here!

Chicken...

Hen-pecked: Domestic chickens chip around the shell to remove the cap

Still wet: I may look bedraggled, but within minutes I'll look like your classic fluffy chick