Lori and George Schappell were conjoined twins born in West Reading, Pennsylvania, on September 18, 1961. On April 7, 2024, they sadly passed away in Philadelphia, around 60 miles from where they arrived in the world.
As confirmed by Guinness World Records, before they passed away, Lori and George were the oldest living conjoined twins and the oldest (biological) female conjoined twins ever. They were 62 years and 202 days old when they died.
They lived intriguing lives, and George’s 2007 gender transition made him and Lori the first set of conjoined twins to identify as different genders.
George, whose spina bifida meant he could not walk, performed as a country singer with the stage name Reba (after his favorite singer Reba McEntire) and, in 1997, he won the L.A. Music Award for Best New Country Artist.
Lori worked in a hospital laundry and, as George’s facilitator, managed her schedule around her twin’s singing commitments.
Public interest in the twins meant they made a career of their condition. They appeared on countless television documentaries and talk shows, including Jerry Springer, The Howard Stern Radio Show, and Medical Incredible, and they even acted in Nip/Tuck as conjoined twins Rose and Raven Rosenberg. In 2007, they participated in the grand opening of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Odditorium in Times Square, Manhattan, New York City.
But do we know the cause of Lori and George’s deaths?
How did Lori and George Schappell die?
Unfortunately, Lori and George Schappell’s cause of death hasn’t been publicly disclosed. What is known is that they died at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital.
Although it’s in bad taste to guess how anyone died, it’s only natural to assume it was due to complications of their unique condition. Most conjoined twins don’t live anywhere near as long as Lori and George, so the fact they reached 62 was something many people are grateful for.
May Lori and George rest in eternal peace.
