Lori Schappell and her transgender brother George Schappell, who were the oldest joint twins in the world, have died. They were 62 years old.
Lori and conjoined twin George tragically passed away on Sunday, April 7, in a Pennsylvania hospital, with the cause of death staying undisclosed, according to their online obituaries published by Leibensperger Funeral Homes.
Doctors said the twins wouldn’t live past 30, even though they were born with partly fused skulls and shared 30% of their brains.
Georgie, who had spina bifida, used a wheelchair that his brother pushed around while Lori could walk.
They were the first same-sex conjoined twins to say they were different genders. In 2007, George came out as transgender and started acting like a guy.
George did well as a country singer, and Lori followed her dream of becoming a ten-pin bowler and even won some prizes.
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In the ’90s, Lori worked at a hospital laundry, planning her shifts around George’s gigs. According to Guinness World Records, George’s country singers’ success took them on trips worldwide, and the conjoined twins could visit Germany and Japan.
They were in the news before George, whose real name was Dori, came out as transgender. When George came out as a transgender guy in 2007, they were the first same-sex conjoined twins to say they were different genders.
George changed his name from Reba to George because he didn’t like how their names rhymed and wanted to honour his hero, Reba McEntire.
The twins lived alone in a two-bedroom flat in Pennsylvania and took turns doing their hobbies. Each night, they slept in the other’s room, and when they showered, they did it separately, with one standing outside the tub to block the other.
“Guinness World Records are saddened to learn of the deaths of the oldest living conjoined twins and oldest female conjoined twins ever, Lori and George Schappell,” Guinness World Records wrote on Friday, April 12.
