When Hearts Conjoin

"Some people believe angels are real. Some believe they walk among us. On August 7, 2006, on the fourth floor of Primary Children's Hospital, angels were there to comfort me on the scariest day of my life."--begins the remarkable true story of the conjoined Herrin twins in the long-awaited memoir, When Hearts Conjoin. The account of Kendra and Maliyah's birth and subsequent separation has appeared in magazine articles and newspaper articles around the world. So it was with eager anticipation that I read an advance copy of When Hearts Conjoin--the real story, as told by their mother, Erin Herrin. If we pay careful attention, we will recognize the small miracles surrounding us on a daily basis. Some we may attribute to good fortune, others to the diligence of making the right choices, day in and day out. Yet, it is a rare thing to witness something so extraordinary that even medical experts are brought to an astonished halt. On a warm October afternoon in 2001, Erin and Jake Herrin were told at a regular ultrasound appointment that the twins Erin carried were conjoined. After an agonizing three-day wait to meet with a specialist, they received the disheartening advice to abort the babies. Conjoined twins had little or no chance of survival outside of the womb, not to mention the complications that would ensue if they did in fact make it through the first fragile days of life. As Erin and Jake Herrin struggled with one of the most important decisions of their lives, they turned again and again to their faith. They knew they were going against medical advice and common sense, yet, the peace they felt was undeniable. They decided to follow through with the pregnancy. It wasn't until years later that they would understand the chain of events that were set in place--events that repaired their marriage, brought two beautiful girls into their family, and transformed the medical industry. From the first page, I was swept into the life of Erin and found myself reading the entire book in one day. The rollercoaster of emotions that she and her husband experienced left me breathless and in tears many times. Her pain was my pain, and her joy became my joy. At times, the reality of what Erin underwent in a physical sense and what she and her husband experienced emotionally and spiritually were overwhelming. I could barely comprehend experiencing one of their trials--let alone the combination. A miscarriage, the pending divorce with Jake, a father with stage four cancer, a father-in-law rapidly deteriorating from Parkinson's, making the decision between the life and death of two children, a series of critical surgeries, a kidney donation, and finally the decision to separate the conjoined girls. How could Erin and her husband endure all this and still keep their family together and their faith intact? The answer may seem inexplicable: Faith. Yet it was the only way. Their faith, combined with prayers from every corner of the world sustained them through the

"When Hearts Conjoin" is an intriguing and inspiring true story that stays in the mind long after the last page. The book is well written and I had strong feelings of compassion for both the parents and the twins as their ordeals unfolded. I recommend this fine book as an uplifting and thought-provoking read that made me want to go and hug all concerned in its telling.