Lori and George Schappell: Conjoined Twins
Not only were Lori and George Schappell conjoined twins, they were listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest conjoined twins in the world.
Despite being joined at the skull and sharing 30% of their brain, the twins defied expectations and managed to live long and successful lives.
From having active love lives to becoming famous country singers, their unique situation certainly didn't hold them back.
This is their story.
Birth
Lori and George were born on September 18, 1961 in West Reading, Pennsylvania. Their parents were Franklin and Ruth Schappell, and they were two of eight children.
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Diagnosis: Brain
The twins were craniopagus conjoined twins—meaning they were joined at the skull. The were positioned in a way that they faced opposite directions.
They shared an area of scalp and blood vessels—but their brains were distinct from each other. This is the rarest form of conjoined twinning, representing only 2-6% of cases.
Diagnosis: Body
Lori was able-bodied, but George, who was four inches shorter than his twin, was born with spina-bifida—a birth defect in which there is an incomplete closing of the spine and membranes around the spinal cord.
As a result, George was unable to walk and had to sit on a wheelchair-type stool which Lori pushed around.
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Prognosis
At the time of their birth, doctors did not expect the twins to reach their first birthday. Upon reaching their first birthday, doctors then changed the prognosis to the following year—this went on for years.
Childhood
Even though they defied the odds, the twins were given a flurry of dire prognoses and doctors ultimately convinced their parents to put them in an institution—where they stayed for more than two decades.
Lori and George ultimately spent the first 24 years of their life in an institution for the mentally disabled.
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Schooling
The twins did receive education at the institution they lived in. They graduated from a public high school and also attended college classes as well. During all of their education endeavors, the twins got excellent grades and received numerous awards.
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Freedom
At age 24, the twins were able to leave the institution and navigate life on their own.
And they did, just that.
The twins moved into their own apartment, where they lived independently without care.
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Their Apartment
The twins shared a two-bedroom adult-living apartment in Pennsylvania where they did as much as they possibly could separately—including having separate bedrooms.
NBCUniversal, The Jerry Springer Show (1991-2018)
Their Bedrooms
Because the twins had very different interests, they each wanted a space to reflect their individuality.
So, they each had their own bedroom, and would split spending nights in each one.
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Silent Partners
In fact, they also had a rule that when one twin wanted “solitude” in their bedroom, the other twin was not allowed to talk to them, or interrupt them, while they were having that time.
George often used his bedroom as a place to practice his music.
And during that time, Lori was completely silent.
At this point, you may be asking how two people joined at the head manage to live separate lives.
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Daily Tasks
Curious minds may have some questions—and Lori and George knew this. So, in various interviews and documentaries, the twins have openly shared how they manage daily tasks—from washing dishes to showering, they have given detailed explanations that we will share.
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Showering
In order to give each other privacy while showering, the twins have said that one would stand in the shower unit, while the other pulled the shower curtain between them as much as possible and held it in position while the other washed.
George was unable to stand so he had a specific shower stool that Lori lifted him onto.
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Cooking and Cleaning
Considering Lori was more able-bodied, she did more of the tasks that required movement. However, George was able to wash and dry dishes, fold laundry, sweep, along with many other household tasks.
George could do most of what Lori could do, just perhaps a little differently. But there is one human need that only one twin seemed to desire.
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Intimacy
Another awkward but realistic question that many people have had for the twins was regarding intimacy, and how, if at all possible, would that take place.
Many people wonder, is this something they would even want? It this even a possibility? The answer is—yes.
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How It’s Done
In a video documentary, Lori and George had explained that if one twin wanted an intimate moment with another person, the other twin would simply “close their eyes and block it out,” as if they were not present.
Lori had gone on many dates, and had many boyfriends.
During her dates, George would bring along a book to read, and would stay completely silent the entire time.
Sounds alright… except not every date ended at the door.
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Partners
Lori had told interviewers that she had given herself to her second boyfriend at the age of 23—while her twin simply laid beside her on the bed, with his eyes closed.
Lori told the Sun:
“I don’t see why being a conjoined twin should stop me having a love life and feeling like a woman”.
Apparently, George didn’t seem to mind.
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Marriage & Children
During the filming of one of their documentaries, the twins were asked if they had wanted to one day get married and have a family.
George didn’t have much to say on the topic, but Lori had expressed that yes, she indeed wanted a husband and a family.
And in fact, she did come close to getting what she wanted.
NBCUniversal, The Jerry Springer Show (1991-2018)
Lori’s Fiancé
At one point, Lori was engaged to be married. Sadly, only four months before their wedding, her fiancé tragically passed in a car accident.
Lori was absolutely devastated and said she would not have been able to move forward without her twin, who remained her rock the entire time.
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Separation
At this point, you may be wondering—was separation ever an option? How do the twins feel about being conjoined?
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God’s Intentions
Lori and George’s parents did not opt for separation. Not only was it extremely rare at that time, there were intense complications if it were even possible.
Instead, Lori told interviewers, “Our parents instilled in us from the day we were old enough to know better and to understand what they were saying, that God did this for a purpose”.
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Their Opinion
During the filming of their documentary in 1997, when asked if the pair ever had a desire to be separated, they confidently replied, “Absolutely not. Our theory is:
why fix what is not broken”?
Although they were happy and content with being conjoined, one of the twins did feel as though something wasn’t right.
NBCUniversal, The Jerry Springer Show (1991-2018)
Gender at Birth
Lori and George were actually born as Lori and Dori—assigned both as females at birth.
They lived as females for more than half of their lives, with Dori changing her name to Reba at some point during their teen years as she disliked having rhyming names.
But eventually, Reba realized her name change simply wasn’t enough.
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Transgender
In 2007, at age 46, Reba (Dori) came out as transgender, identifying as male and adopting the name George.
George’s gender transition made him and Lori the first set of conjoined twins to identify as different genders.
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George’s Decision
In an interview with The Sun in 2011, George discussed his decision to come out after the siblings vowed to “continue living life to the fullest”.
He reportedly said, “I have known from a very young age that I should have been a boy. I knew I had to live my life the way I wanted”.
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George’s Transition
George did not have any surgeries to confirm his gender change, but dressed differently and introduced himself as male—which friends say matches his personality much better.
NBCUniversal, The Jerry Springer Show (1991-2018)
Personality
Although they were joined at the head, the two had very different personalities.
Lori was more outgoing, while George was more withdrawn and shyer, especially when meeting new people.
Though the quiet twin had more going on than you may think.
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George’s Creativity
In early life, George was known to be very creative—especially when it came to music. In fact, his earlier name change from Dori to Reba was inspired by his favorite country singer, Reba McEntire—whom he covered many of her songs.
In fact, he took his passion to the next level.
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Hobbies
Not only did the twins have different personalities, but they also had different hobbies, and careers.
Lori was an award-winning bowler, and George was a known country singer, who performed for various audiences all around the United States, Germany and Japan.
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George’s Country Music Gig
George, who was going by Reba for most of his singing career, performed for many large audiences, even having concerts in which his conjoined twin would pay for her own ticket to attend.
During these concerts, Lori would sometimes wear a black blanket over top of her body to keep hidden so that Reba was the focus.
But singing wasn’t their only source of income.
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Careers
Lori worked for six years as a laundry attendant in a hospital. She worked her schedule around George’s singing commitments. She also acted as his facilitator when it came to performances.
Aside from singing, George also designed support equipment for people with physical disabilities, including a specialized wheelchair and a mobility aid for dogs.
But as much as they tried to live a “normal” life, their uniqueness constantly called attention.
NBCUniversal, The Jerry Springer Show (1991-2018)
Documentaries
Being conjoined twins was (and still is) very rare.
Everywhere they went people would stare or ask questions. This eventually led to a number of interviews and documentaries—all of which they were happy to help with.
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Celebrities
Over the years, the twins became celebrities—mostly because their unique situation intrigued the public.
They appeared on various talk shows (including Jerry Springer), documentaries, and even acted in an episode of the television series Nip/Tuck, in which they played conjoined twins Rose and Raven Rosenberg.
CBS, CBS News Sunday Morning (1979-)
Long Lives
Despite facing several challenges, the siblings made an effort to have unique lives.
It is because of this that many people believe they lived long passed their expected expiration date—which was said to be age 30.
Throughout their entire lives, the twins remained positive about their situation, believing they were created exactly how God had intended.
CBS, CBS News Sunday Morning (1979-)
End of Life
Lori and George Schappell died at University of Pennsylvania Hospital on April 7, 2024, at the age of 62.
The cause of death was not publicly disclosed.
They are survived by their father and six siblings.
Their memories and their contributions to the world will live on forever in the hearts of many.
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