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Conjoined girls born in Manchester, UK, on August 8th, 2000. Mary did not have a functioning heart or lungs, and doctors estimated that Jodie's heart would fail within a few months from the strain of supplying both bodies. After a great deal of discussion and debate the Court of Appeals ordered separation surgery that resulted in Mary's immediate death, over the objections of the babies' parents. While court documents used pseudonyms, the girls were later disclosed to be Gracie and Rosie Attard, from a small island near Malya.
Sites
Jodie and Mary: The medical factsOverview of the case, diagram of the twins' bodies and shared circulatory system, and links to other coverage. [BBC News]
Jodie and Mary: Whose Choice Was It Anyway?Discusses the issues in family and criminal law raised by this case, and the limitations of applying the law to these cases in the first case. [spiked liberties]
The Case of the Siamese TwinsFull text of the judgment mandating separation, in the England and Wales Court of Appeal (Civil Division).
Separating Conjoined TwinsRabbi Chaim Steinmetz's analysis of whether it is permissible, under Jewish law, to sacrifice one twin to save the life of the other, using the Mary and Jodie case as an example.
Surviving Siamese Twin Gracie Goes Home to GozoThe baby known as 'Jodie' (Gracie Attard) in court papers, now ten months old, is progressing well and ready to leave hospital. [Telegraph]
Law Decided Fate of Mary and JodieOverview of the facts of the case, and update on 'Jodie', the surviving twin. [The Guardian]
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