In 2006 and early 2007, three families and their children's medical miracles were featured in Church News cover stories. Conjoined twins Kendra and Maliyah Herrin of North Salt Lake, Utah, were separated Aug. 7, 2006, in a landmark surgery that was the first of its kind.
Infants Nick and Nate Draper, twins from Phoenix, Ariz., born with weak hearts, celebrated their first birthday at home — Nick with a donor heart and Nate with a healed heart. And Devon Rivers, an 11-year-old boy from Yamhill, Ore., who spent two years in a coma on life support, awoke and returned to school, Boy Scouts and other activities.
Each family overcame statistical odds; their stories caught the eye of national media. A year later, they have celebrated birthdays and other important milestones. The Herrin twins started kindergarten, Devon Rivers turned 12 and began passing the sacrament, and Nate Draper, once thought to be blind in addition to his heart problems, can see.
All three families said they are progressing toward a simple goal: to have happy, healthy children.
· · · · ·
Herrin twins
Formerly conjoined twins, Kendra and Maliyah Herrin, started kindergarten Aug. 28 and are looking forward to attending a concert by Disney pop sensation Hannah Montana. They spent their summer playing outside, watching and rewatching "High School Musical," camping with their family, and visiting a local amusement park. Kendra likes spending time with her sisters and Maliyah dreams of becoming a fashion designer.
One year after the twins, daughters of Jake and Erin Herrin of North Salt Lake, Utah, were separated their lives sound ordinary. And in most ways they are.
But their mother still doesn't take for granted being able to hold the girls one at a time. Their family Web site still receives more than 10,000 hits a day. And the girls could not start school without a mob of children gathering around them the first day. "They love that they are famous," said Sister Herrin of her daughters.
Born Feb. 26, 2002, at the University of Utah Medical Center, the Ischiopagus/Omphalopagus conjoined twins shared an abdomen, pelvis, liver, kidney, large intestine and two legs (each controlled one).
In landmark surgery, which lasted 26 hours and garnered international attention, Kendra and Maliyah were separated — the first surgery of its kind performed on twins that shared a single kidney. Each girl kept one leg and Kendra kept the kidney, which was in her body. Nine months later, Sister Herrin donated a kidney to Maliyah, who is still being monitored for rejection.
The girls get around in wheelchairs and are working daily in physical therapy to become proficient with a walker or crutches. That is more than their parents could have dreamed five years ago. (Kendra can now walk from the car to the chapel and then to her Primary class with the walker.)
Conjoined twins make up about 1 in 50,000 to 100,000 births and happen when a fertilized egg starts to split, as with typical identical twins, but doesn't finish. Most of the time separation surgeries are done when the twins are 6 to 12 months old. But because the Herrin twins shared Kendra's kidney, the surgery was delayed.
"It's amazing to see how far we've come in such a short time," said Brother Herrin. "It really has been a miracle."
The day of the separation a year ago was one of the "happiest and saddest days of our lives," he said. "I don't think we could have ever imagined things going as well as they have."
· · · · ·
Draper twins
Two months after Nicholas and Nathaniel Draper celebrated their second birthday July 11, the toddlers are doing great, said their parents, Michael and Nicole Draper. Nate's heart, which began functioning normally after more than eight months on the nation's heart transplant list, is looking good. Nick's transplanted heart, has no rejection issues, Sister Draper added.
Once too sick to be held, the boys roll over, laugh, hold toys and are working to sit up and eat after months of being fed through a tube in each of their stomachs.
"We feel hugely, hugely blessed that they are where they are at, that they are progressing," said Sister Draper. "In general, they are a million times healthier than they were. They are making progress. And we have them. There are a lot of families that didn't get to bring their kids home. That is a huge blessing that we got to bring both of them home, when we could have lost one or both of them."
Once on 15 daily medications, Nick is now on eight. Nate was taken off his last heart medication in August.
The twins suffer from a heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the muscles of the heart are not strong enough to pump efficiently. Doctors say it is extremely rare for a baby to be born with this condition, and even rarer that both twins would have it.
After their birth in 2005, the babies were flown from Arizona to Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA in Los Angeles, Calif. The boys' condition set in motion an almost yearlong effort to help the family. Nick, who was added to the heart-transplant waiting list first, received a donor heart Feb. 16, 2006.
Then, doctors gave the Drapers encouraging news. After Nate had spent months in the pediatric intensive care unit, it appeared his heart was healing by itself. Maybe he wouldn't need a transplant. The baby returned to Arizona in June 2006. And once thought to be blind, Nate — as well as Nick — is now meeting with a vision therapist who is helping him see better.
"Things are going great," said Sister Draper of the Mountain Park Ward, Tempe Arizona West Stake. "We are very happy."
· · · · ·
Devon Rivers
On July 8 — almost three years after contracting a mysterious illness and living 22 months in a vegetative state — Devon Rivers was ordained a deacon. For his parents, Carla and Roger Rivers, the day was miraculous. During the nearly two years Devon was in a coma they prayed he would one day "be able to pass the sacrament and go on a mission."
Although still recovering emotionally, Devon can do most of the things his friends do — ride a bike or 4-wheeler, participate in Scouting, go to school, play outside and fish. On July 26-27, Devon visited the Oregon coast and caught a salmon.
His father still can't believe he woke up. "It just happened," he said. "It is just one of God's many miracles. He never lost a bit of memory of things beforehand. The only thing he forgot was the time in the coma."
In fall of 2004, Devon got sick. In the hospital, he groaned and shook and slowly grew worse and worse, until he was hooked to life support. His family looked into his eyes and found nothing but a blank stare. He could not eat or breathe on his own. Brain scans revealed dead cells. He was moved to a care center for critically ill children.
Then in fall of 2006, Devon started to get better. He was removed from the breathing machine in August. By November he was walking and by December he was talking in sentences. In January, the then-11-year-old returned to school. He tested in the 90th percentile on a fourth grade level, the school year he got sick.
Today, his communication is slow but, other than that, a person wouldn't know he was ever sick, said Brother Rivers.
Bishop Nicholas P. Ochs, of the Yamhill Ward, McMinnville Oregon Stake, said he loves to sit on the stand and watch Devon at Church. Devon smiles, he said. His parents smile. Ward members smile.
"The most amazing thing is to see him pass the sacrament and be involved in priesthood ordinances," said Bishop Ochs.
"He is a great young man.... Everyone is excited about the fact that he is able to do these things."
Doctors, nurses or medical professionals cannot explain Devon's miraculous recovery, he said. "But we all know what it is."
E-mail: sarah@desnews.com