Shiloh Pepin
Shiloh Jade Pepin (August 4, 1999 – October 23, 2009) was born in Kennebunkport, Maine, United States with her lower extremities fused, no bladder, no uterus, no rectum, only 6 inches of large intestine, no vagina, only one quarter of a kidney and one ovary. Her parents initially anticipated she could expect only a few months of life. At age 4 months, her natural kidney failed, and she began dialysis. A kidney transplant at age 2 lasted a number of years, and in 2007 a second kidney transplant was successful. She attended Consolidated Elementary School. She remained hopeful about her disease and joked often and lived her life happily, despite her challenges, as seen in her TLC documentary in "Extraordinary People: Mermaid Girl". Shiloh and her family were debating surgery because of the risks involved, even though it would improve her quality of life. Many people who have this condition undergo surgery when they are young, but Shiloh was already 8 years old in the documentary and had not undergone surgery. Shiloh was the only one of the three survivors of sirenomelia without surgery for separation of the conjoined legs. She died of pneumonia on October 23, 2009, at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine, at the age of 10; having appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show on September 22, 2009. Shiloh gained a following of admirers by documenting her condition on TV, Facebook, and the Internet. Milagros Cerrón
Milagros Cerrón Arauco (April 27, 2004 – October 24, 2019) was born in Huancayo, Peru.
One-third to one-half of infants are stillborn, with all but a few dying in the neonatal period.In cases of monoamniotic twins where one is affected, the twin with sirenomelia is protected from Potter sequence (particularly pulmonary hypoplasia and abnormal facies) by the normal twins production of amniotic fluid. Epidemiology
This condition is found in approximately one out of every 100,000 live births; studies produce rates from 1 in 68,741 to 1 in 97,807. It is 100 to 150 times more likely in identical (monozygotic) twins than in singletons or fraternal twins. Sirenomelia is not associated with any ethnic background, but fetuses with sirenomelia are more likely to be male. Etymology
The word sirenomelia derives from the ancient Greek word seirēn, referring to the mythological Sirens, who were sometimes depicted as mermaids, and melos, meaning "limb". History
Sirenomelia was first reported in 1542. In 1927, Otto Kampmeier discovered the association between sirenomelia and single umbilical artery. Notable individuals
Only a few individuals who had some functioning kidney tissue have survived the neonatal period. Tiffany Yorks
Tiffany Yorks of Clearwater, Florida (May 7, 1988 – February 24, 2016) underwent successful surgery in order to separate her legs before she was a year old. She was the longest-surviving sirenomelia patient to date. She had mobility issues due to her fragile leg bones, and compensated by using crutches or a wheelchair. She died on February 24, 2016, at the age of 27.