Tom and Sawong were conjoined twins who were born on October 9 in a rural community in Morobe province of Papua New Guinea. Their journey through these medical challenges was harrowing and tragically ended in preventable death. From Braun Hospital in Finschhafen, the twins were sent to Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae for further treatment. From there they were airlifted out to Australia for more advanced treatment. Even with urgent measures to try to separate the two, Tom passed away just hours after the surgery.
Twins to Nigerian immigrants, the twins were born conjoined, sharing a liver and experiencing other health complications. Tom showed all the classic signs of low albumin, an important protein for keeping fluid in your blood vessels. On top of all that, he was born with a congenital heart defect and just one kidney. These same conditions made their eventual separation surgery dangerous, but necessary.
Urgent Medical Transfers
At first, Tom and Sawong were treated at Braun Hospital, and the healthcare providers there realized that their conditions were severe. After this first assessment, the twins were referred to Angau Memorial Hospital, the only hospital in the region that could provide more specialized treatment.
Polapoi Chalau, a representative involved in their care, stated, “The team has recommended specialised transport to the facility with a specialised medical and nursing team.” This recommendation proved to be a precursor to their rather urgent airlift to Australia.
Upon their arrival in Australia, the twins initially were treated at Paradise Private Hospital in Port Moresby. Afterwards, they were flown to the Sydney Children’s Hospital where they could then be separated during their surgery. Because of Tom’s declining health, the medical team had to move fast.
The Separation Surgery
The separation surgery took over seven hours. Doctors had decided it was important to provide Sawong with the best chance of surviving. The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network explained the urgency: “The reason for the early separation is that Sawong is working hard to support Tom.”
Complications arose during the procedure. Jurgen Ruh, a family representative, recounted the moment they received devastating news: “It was on Saturday lunchtime when the doctors called us in and they said, ‘Look, Tom is getting more swelling and he’s going downhill.’”
Tom tragically died just minutes after the long surgery was finished. His untimely passing has devastated his family and those healthcare professionals who loved and served him.
Hope for Sawong
While this was a horrific ending for Tom, Sawong is still in intensive care with a good chance of living on. Her doctors will continue to evaluate her condition as she starts the long process of recovering.
Sawong’s future is far from certain. Look, she’s in the hands of specialists who are providing her with focused care and concern, and it’s making all the difference. The surgical team is optimistic that with time and appropriate rehabilitation, she will heal from this career-changing ordeal.
