Couple may lose both Siamese twins

A couple forced to sacrifice one Siamese twin to save the other now face the devastating news that both of their unborn daughters might be lost.

Doctors told Tina May and her fiancé Dennis Smith they might not be able to separate the girls once they are born after a scan showed complications with the heart they share.

If the twins, who have already been called Natasha and Courtney, cannot be parted it is unlikely they will survive beyond their first year. Even if they can be separated, the chances of the stronger twin, Natasha, surviving surgery will be greatly reduced.

Ms May, 23, said: "The hardest part is not knowing for sure. The doctors won't be able to decide until after the birth."

Ms May, an office receptionist, and Mr Smith, a bus driver, live in St Albans and already have an 11-month-old son, Damien. They were told two months ago that their daughters are joined at the heart and liver and only one would be strong enough to survive an operation.

The dominant twin, Natasha, has most of the heart and stands the best chance of survival. The shared liver will have to be divided, though doctors believe the organ can regenerate after being split.

The couple will appear on Tonight With Trevor McDonald tomorrow evening at 7.30 on ITV1 to talk about their ordeal.

Ms May described the decision to let one child die so another can live as "the most horrific choice for any parent".

The twins will be born by Caesarean section at the end of this month. They will then be transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital and kept alive until they are strong enough to undergo the operation to separate them.