From tearful scans in Suva to tears of joy in Riyadh for Fijian mother of conjoined babies

By Elenoa Turagaiviu, RNZ Pacific Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — For Fijian mother Akeneta Vulimaiigiladi, the journey toward holding two separate, healthy baby girls began with a pregnancy that defied every expectation. Carrying triplets, Akeneta faced a daunting reality when medical scans revealed that while one baby was developing independently, two of her daughters were physically joined at the abdomen and pelvis. "I had previously not known about their condition until I got transferred to the antenatal care at Suva Hospital where a visiting team of overseas doctors informed me that two of my babies were conjoined," she told PMN News. "It was a very emotional moment for me and I couldn't stop crying. " Arriving healthy, but 11 weeks prematurely in September 2025, were daughter Hossana, and conjoined sisters Jesepeli and Dicecea Kikau who shared vital organs.

"Up until then, we had only heard and watched about conjoined babies online. " "Seeing them for the first time was a different experience for us as parents and we were happy that they were in good health. " The twins spent almost four months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit before being discharged. During that time, Vulimaiigiladi says doctors told them about what to expect and available options for their care. "At first, my husband and I didn't want them to undergo separation surgery, as we thought they were too small and we just wanted them just as they were. "But we were advised by doctors in Fiji that as they grow, the sisters would want to live normal lives like any other children their age, so we finally agreed to specialized surgical care overseas. " The Fijian doctors began an exhaustive search for specialized surgery at hospitals in the US, New Zealand, Australia and Mexico. But all those hospitals needed…