Conjoined Facts About Eng And Chang Bunker, The Original “Siamese Twins”
Chang and Eng Bunker led extraordinary lives. Born as conjoined twins, they lived in poverty in Siam before coming to the West to be showcased as “freaks.” And even though they ultimately found success as the famous “Siamese Twins,”
it was never easy: They endured great prejudice, exploitation, and an incredible loss of their bodily autonomy. Still, they eventually found their voices and soared up the American social ladder…but at what cost?
1. Their Appearance Was Startling
As one could imagine, the twins’ debut into the world was a bit of a shocker. Chang and Eng Bunker were born on May 11, 1811, in Meklong, Siam (now Thailand), to their mother, Nok, and their father, a Chinese fisherman named Ti-eye.
Although their mother claimed that their birth wasn’t any more laborious than those of her other children, the sight of the twins reportedly horrified the midwives.
2. Their Mother Saved Them
Distressingly, both Chang and Eng were connected at their sternums by a band of flesh. Even worse, the band was twisted, forcing the infants into a dangerous face-to-face position. Fortunately, while the midwives were presumably busy staring at each other in confusion, Nok’s instincts kicked in—and she did something jaw-dropping.
In a move that likely saved the twins’ lives, she reportedly untwisted their band, which connected to just one umbilical cord, and repositioned the twins so they could instead lay staring into each other’s eyes.
Still, there were more challenges to come.
3. They Lived As Normally As Possible
Nok was adamant that her babies would live regular lives.
So, as Chang and Eng grew older, she urged them to exercise to try to stretch their connection, and as a result, their band eventually extended just long enough to allow them to walk alongside each other. After that, there was no stopping them.
The twins were energetic, happy-go-lucky kids who endlessly ran around and played with their friends.
But sadly, the joys of their youth were short-lived.
4. They Suffered A Heartbreaking Loss
Chang and Eng’s carefree childhood all but came to an abrupt end when a smallpox epidemic hit their community hard in 1819. Although both boys caught the sickness and miraculously survived, their father, Ti-eye, wasn’t nearly as lucky.
He died from the illness when they were only eight years old. Naturally, losing their father was devastating for the twins in more ways than one.
