Twins Kendra and Maliyah Herrin were guests on "Oprah" Friday, along with their parents, Jake and Erin Herrin of North Salt Lake.
The girls, who turn 5 in February, were born conjoined and were separated in a marathon, complex surgery last August. Because they shared a single kidney, which was Kendra's, Maliyah has been on dialysis since the surgery. Both girls also dealt early in recovery with bowel obstructions, and Kendra underwent numerous hyperbaric oxygen treatments to help her considerable wounds heal.
But during the show Friday, they were all smiles as their parents described the wrenching, back-and-forth decision to separate them. The girls are doing well and both attend preschool two days a week, their mom said.
Their hopes for the girls, she said, are those of any loving parent: that they be healthy and happy. They wouldn't change anything, she added, because they've learned the most important things are family and the health you have.