Feb 20, 2006 6:02 pm US/Central
Conjoined Twins' Family Overwhelmed By Generosity
Fargo, N.D. (AP) ―
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Abby and Belle Carlsen
CBS
Parents of conjoined twins Abby and Belle Carlsen say they are overwhelmed by the support and generosity of others who are touched by their story.
"If we could just ask everyone in Fargo to be honorary godparents, that would be so cool," said father Jesse Carlsen.
A pancake breakfast and silent auction hosted earlier this year by St. John Lutheran Church raised more than $13,500 for the family. On Sunday, a chili feed and silent auction raised another $7,000. More than 50 area businesses and artists donated food and auction items.
"It's one of those stories that grabs everybody," said Gordy Richardson, who attended the benefit. "When you see the pictures of the babies and how beautiful they are, it just melts your heart.
"Everybody we talked to wants to help," he said. "We've gotten a lot of calls from people we don't know who volunteered to clear tables."
Abby and Belle were born in late November to Jesse and Amy Carlsen, joined from mid-chest to navel. Preliminary tests show they are joined at the breastbone, liver and part of the intestines, but more tests are needed before a date for separation surgery is scheduled.
Jesse Carlsen's co-workers at the state Department of Transportation have donated four months of vacation time so he can stay home with his girls without losing a paycheck.
Burtsch Travel Agency in Fargo, N.D. donated two airline tickets so Amy Carlsen's parents, who live in Montana, could meet the girls. The agency's owner, Fred Burtsch, offered to pick up the grandparents with his own plane if a commercial flight did not work.
"We wanted to make something a little easier for them," said Sandie Anders, office manager at Burtsch. "This wasn't anything they asked for. People who are strong like that, you just want to help."
In addition to the local support, people from across the country have sent checks, store gift certificates and well-wishes. The couple have received about 20 pounds of mail from friends and strangers.
The Carlsens use the donations to offset expenses such as hotel and food costs when the girls are at a Minneapolis hospital. The money also helps with medical expenses not covered by health insurance. No one knows how much the surgery to separate the girls will cost.
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According to the Mayo Clinic, conjoined twins are extremely rare, occurring once in every 200,000 births.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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