Lucio and Simplicio Godina Conjoined twins Date of Birth: 08.03.1908 Country: Philippines

1. The Conjoined Twins
2. Early Life and Circumstances
3. Life in the United States
4. Legal Trouble and Inspiring a Film
5. Love and Marriage
6. Tragic End

The Conjoined Twins

Lucio and Simplicio Godina were conjoined (Siamese) twins who lived in the first half of the last century. After Lucio's death, they were separated by doctors, and it seemed that Simplicio had a new chance in life. However, the surgery was not flawless, and he died 12 days later.

Early Life and Circumstances

Lucio and Simplicio Godina were born in 1908 on the island of Samar in the Philippines. The boys were conjoined twins, and their survival was quite rare. Usually, boys born conjoined either die at birth or are nonviable. Interestingly, Lucio and Simplicio were not heavily fused together - they only shared skin and cartilage on their buttocks, while each had their own pelvic bones and spinal tissues. Moreover, their fused area was so flexible that one of them could lie down while the other stood.

Life in the United States

The unusual twins were sent to the United States, where they started working in a circus. When Lucio and Simplicio were 11 years old, they were working at Coney Island. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children demanded that the twins have an official guardian. After this, they were placed under the care of Teodor Yangeo, a wealthy Filipino who was traveling in the US. From this point on, the brothers began their education. They received excellent schooling and pursued music and several sports, including swimming, tennis, and golf.

Legal Trouble and Inspiring a Film

There is a known incident where Lucio hit a driver in Manila, their guardian's hometown, causing an injury. Lucio was sentenced to five days of imprisonment. However, the twins did not go to jail as it would have been wrong to imprison Simplicio, who was innocent. Ultimately, Lucio did not face any punishment, and this incident inspired the Hilton sisters to create a film called "Chained for Life," in which one sister kills the other's husband, and they both go to prison.

Love and Marriage

In 1928, both Godina brothers fell in love with Natividad and Victorina Matos, twin sisters who were not conjoined. The sisters reciprocated their interest, and Lucio and Simplicio intended to marry them. However, as was often the case with conjoined twins at the time, they were denied permission. Despite being completely different individuals, they were still perceived as one person. After an appeal, the decision was revised, and all four of them got married. They moved to the United States and began performing in vaudeville shows. Lucio and Simplicio were excellent dancers and also excelled in roller skating. They added the two beautiful sisters to their dance routines.

Tragic End

The Godina brothers aimed for independence and rejected financial assistance from their millionaire adoptive father. They were self-sufficient in show business and planned to support themselves and their two wives. Everything seemed to be in place for Lucio and Simplicio to live a long and happy life. However, in 1936, Lucio fell ill with pneumonia in New York City. During his illness, Simplicio physically felt fine, but he complained about having to spend days in bed. The doctors believed that Lucio's illness was not fatal, but they were mistaken. On November 24, 1936, he suddenly passed away. Simplicio stoically endured the horrors of those days, and he embraced the emergency separation surgery that was decided upon. Dr. E.H. Wertheim successfully separated the dead Lucio from the living Simplicio, and for a few days, the entire medical world celebrated what appeared to be a successful operation. However, the joy was short-lived. Twelve days later, on December 8, Simplicio died from spinal meningitis.