- [Interviewer] Eva and Erika, what is it like to be sisters? (laughs) - Sometimes we fight. Most
of the times we get along. - When we play with our toys. - Yes. - [Interviewer] Erika, how
would you describe your family? - Fun. (laughs) - [Interviewer] Tell
me about when the girls were first born. - So they were, from the
pelvis to the ribcage, the bottom of the ribcage,
they were conjoined. So they were fused all
the way up to the ribcage. So, they shared the pelvis,
and they didn't share organs. I think they shared the stomach. - They only shared the bladder. - The bladder? - The bladder. Then Erika's small intestine. - [Mom] Oh, the intestine. - Joined into Eva's large intestine. So, whenever Erika would
eat, all her nourishments were going to Eva. And Eva grew. Erika didn't. - Oh, yeah. - [Interviewer] Is it true that
you two used to be attached to one another? - Yes. - That is true. - [Interviewer] What is
it like to be attached to one another? Do you remember? - No. - I don't. - [Interviewer] What is it like to know you were once conjoined with your sister? - Mostly shocking to think that
we were conjoined and, like, I don't even have a memory of it. - [Interviewer] At what
age were they separated? - They were about two then
When they were separated. Yeah. December 6th, 2016, so. - [Interviewer] What goes
into making that decision? - For us, it was, at least on my part, I just found it was very easy. It was an easy decision. Like, this is what we want for the girls. Like, if we have the
opportunity to give them a separate individual life,
let's take it, you know. We were aware of the risks. We were aware that,
possibly, one could die, possibly, both could die. - [Interviewer] Is there
anything unique about you two? - Yes, we have one leg. - And I have this dimple
right here, and Eva doesn't. - And you have a beauty mark. - Oh, yeah, and I also have a
beauty mark on top on my head. - [Interviewer] Is it good to be unique? - Yes. - And I have this beauty mark right here. - Two. - [Interviewer] Oh, you have a freckle? - Oh. - One, two. - And I have one on my bottom. (laughs) - Three. - We thought it was chocolate one time. (laughs) - They did have a third
leg, and that third leg was behind Erika. - Yeah, a conjoined leg. - It was a conjoined leg. - Butterfly legs! - [Interviewer] Did you say butterfly leg? - Yeah, it was, like,
the shape of a butterfly. - Oh, their foot, their
feet were conjoined. - Fused together. - Fused together, yeah. - Fused. - [Interviewer] So, it was
three legs, and one of the legs had two feet that were fused together? - Yeah, so they each had a
leg, and then the third leg came behind them, which
ended up right behind Erika. And it was like a leg fused
together, but the foot came. - With the two feet, together. - Together, like that, yeah. - [Interviewer] When they were
separated, did they remove that leg entirely? - They needed to use the skin for Erika's. - Extra tissue, yeah. - Oh! - Right here. - So, she has. - They stapled and. - Stitched! - Sewed me. - Stitched. - Stitched me. - Yeah. - With a stitch. - That's where the name Stitch came from! - I don't think so. - No. (laughs) - We're different than others, and it's a really big
challenge to get to do stuff that everyone else does,
but we have to do it also, but a bit harder. It's really hard for us
to, like, get up the stairs with our prosthetics on,
and, if there's no railing, we have to hold a hand, because
it's really hard to do it. - Most of the kids are,
like, at school, like, they just look down at
my prosthetic, and, like, I don't know why they're doing that. So, like, I just keep on moving. - [Interviewer] How do
you feel when kids stare at your prosthetic? - Like, I mostly feel,
like, curious, like, why are they looking at my
prosthetic for some reason? I mean, it's just there to help me walk. Why are they looking
there? Mostly frustrated. - [Interviewer] What's the most
important thing your friends at school can understand
about prosthetic legs? - That they can't call it a robot leg, because it's very mean to us. - [Interviewer] How do you
feel when that happens? - Very angry inside my
head, and it's, like, I just want to yell and
correct them, but I'm, like, "Oh no, I'm going to get in trouble," and I will not do that. And I don't even like
getting in trouble at school. And I rarely get in
trouble, which is good. - [Interviewer] Have you
ever talked to your parents about how you feel when people
stare at your prosthetic? - No. - Do you tell me what happens at school? - No. - When somebody says
something about your leg? - No. - Once, only once. - Yes, once, a bully. - Then what did he say? - It was creepy to have
one leg or it was weird. - And what did I tell you? - Ignore him. - What are you supposed to tell him? - It's not creepy to have one leg. It's cool to have one leg. - She said, "Remember it." - [Interviewer] What is it
like to have a prosthetic leg? - Very uncomfortable. - And sometimes it's hard
to put on the straps. - [Interviewer] Is it
easy for you to join in all your friends at school
when they're playing games, maybe out at recess? - No, it's not very easy,
because sometimes, in my head, it feels like I'm being
ignored or being pushed back. I'm, like, I'm trying to
join stuff, but it's like they're avoiding me. - [Interviewer] Do you
have recess outside? - Yes, but when I don't get
my work done, I stay in. - [Interviewer] Well, when
you do get your work done, and you go outside, are you
able to play with everybody? - Most of the time, like,
I bounce basketballs, or I go on the big structure. I mostly bounce basketballs,
if there are any. - [Interviewer] Do you have
friends that you bounce with? - Not really. Sometimes I bounce
basketballs with my aide. - [Interviewer] What grade are you two in? - Third. - Third grade. - [Interviewer] Are you in the same class? - Yes. - And we sit, kind of,
close to each other. - [Interviewer] What's it
like to be in the same class in the third grade? - Most of the time it's
fun, because we do a lot of art projects. - [Interviewer] How do
you know Mrs. Chiles? - She's my teacher in third grade, but I had Ms. Rodriguez in second. - [Interviewer] Eva, what is
it like to have Mrs. Chiles as a teacher? - It's very exciting. (laughs) - And we have a lot of field trips, which is my favorite part. - [Interviewer] What is
it like to be unique, and that's a good thing,
but also have it come with challenges? - I don't know. It's, like, really hard,
but sometimes it's easy, and sometimes I like to say
I'm up for a good challenge. Yes, I am not really up
for a good challenge. - [Interviewer] Erika,
you said you're not in for a good challenge? Explain that to me. - Sometimes I like challenges,
like, puzzle challenges, but I really don't like
other types of challenges, like climbing up the stairs without rails. - One of the things we noticed last year was that they had the
capabilities of being independent, but they were a little bit nervous. So, one of the things that
they struggle with, sometimes, is their stability with their prosthetics. - We don't wear them at
home most of the time. - Most of the time. - Which feels good. - [Interviewer] How do
you get around at home? - We normally scoot. (shuffling) - [Interviewer] Do you two like scooting? - Yes. - [Interviewer] Who can scoot faster? (shuffling) (laughs) - They like having the mobility at home without the prosthetics,
but at school, you know, we're outside, we're going everywhere, and so they really struggled
with having that independence of trusting themselves. So, Miss Cindy and I, last year,
a lot, kept talking to them about how they are strong,
they are confident, they can keep doing this. - [Interviewer] What is the best thing about having a prosthetic leg? - I can fold it, and,
normally, I can take it off whenever I want, and when I get new ones I can choose whatever style I want. Normally it's like, so,
I have Disney princesses. I've always had Disney
princesses, and this time I'm going to switch it up a bit, but it still is going
to be a Disney princess. - [Interviewer] Are twins the same, or can they be very different? - They can also be very different. - [Interviewer] How are you
and your sister different? - So I, Eva wears dresses,
and I wear t-shirts. But on our anniversary
once, I wore a dress, she wore a t-shirt and pants. - [Interviewer] You said
anniversary. Do you mean birthday? - No. - No, we had a separation
anniversary once in December. - [Interviewer] How do you feel on your separation anniversary? - Very excited, because we
normally do a lot of fun stuff, and, hopefully, this year
me and Erika get to go on our tablet. - [Interviewer] Tell me about the girls' separation anniversary and why you like to make that special. (laughs) - Go ahead. (laughs) - But I want Daddy to go first. - Me? - Daddy go first. Daddy go first. (shuffling) (clears throat) - Well, I can. It was a day that we. (sighs) - It's hard to bring it out. Yeah, we had these two. (shuffling) - And they finally became their own. - A day to celebrate. (clears throat) (sighs) - It's a day to celebrate
that they became their own unique person. They had life. It was to have their individual life, to become their own person. - She's more of a sporty kind. I'm more of, like,
princess, kind of, makeup. - Fashion. - Yes, fashion. (laughs) - [Interviewer] What
is it like to be twins and have different styles like that? - Really fun, because,
like, normally she asks me what to wear tomorrow,
and I'm, like, okay, go with a little bit of jeans
and a bit of that, and that. No pin, because. - It's my pin. - It's ours now. - [Interviewer] What is the pin? - Oh, it's a Disney
pin I put in my drawer. - It has a mickey hand with
his wand, like in Fantasia. - [Interviewer] Why can't
she wear her mickey pin? That's pretty cool! - It's both of ours now,
because, like, I use. - I like Mickey. - I like him too. - [Interviewer] What is your sister like? - Sometimes she's, most
of the time, actually, she's mean to me. Yeah, she, actually, calls
me by my middle name. - [Interviewer] You don't like that? - No, I don't like that. - [Interviewer] Is it
true that you sometimes call your sister by her middle name? - Yes, whenever she doesn't
listen to me, I call her that, and sometimes I even
call her name in Spanish: Erika Rose Sandoval. But normally, I don't say it
like that. I say it way mean. - [Interviewer] Do you think
it's normal for sisters to frustrate one another? - Yes. - [Interviewer] Do you ever frustrate Eva? - Yes. - [Interviewer] Did you
ever do it on purpose? - Kind of. - I thought having twins, they were going to love each other, and
they were going to be, like, best friends, and come to find out, it doesn't happen that way. (laughs) - Yes. - You know, hopefully in the
future it does, you know. And I know as they get older it will. You know, siblings we find
each other, and we find comfort in each other and, you know,
depend on each other for sure. - And I have a French accent. I don't usually use it
around a lot of people. - [Interviewer] I've got to hear it! (laughs) - Oh my gosh. (laughs) - [Interviewer] Is Eva
more social than you? - Yes. - [Interviewer] What is
it like to have a sister who is more social? - Like, kind, of calm to
have a more socialier sister than me, because, like, I am more quiet. Because when me and Eva
were born, I couldn't speak. So, Eva was the person who always talks. - She's very dominant, Eva,
isn't she, very dominant. So, very interesting to see
both girls flourish, you know, from what they were, you know, conjoined. And, like Erika was
saying she wasn't talking. She literally didn't speak. And not that she didn't know how to speak, she was just over, I
guess, you would say what? Overpowered by her sister? - Yeah. - You know, her sister would
do the talking the laughing, you know. - [Interviewer] You mean
when they were Conjoined? - When they were conjoined? It wasn't until they were separated. - Then she just. - That she found her voice, you know. She found that she can talk,
that she can ask for things, you know but it was always
Eva doing the speaking and the laughing and, you know. So, yeah, I say she found her voice. - [Interviewer] It's almost
like they had to be separated for Erika to reach her full potential. - Yes. - [Interviewer] What is it like to be you? - It feels good to be me. - [Interviewer] What's
the best part of it? - That I am unique. - [Interviewer] I agree with you. I think it's a great thing, to be unique. What is unique about you? - That I have one leg, and
I like different things from my sister. - [Interviewer] What do you
like that your sister doesn't? - Skateboards. - [Interviewer] What is it
like to like skateboards but you have a sister who likes makeup? - Crazy, because once Eva
used my new skateboard as a nail filer. - What's really great about
Erika is her determination that every single thing, I
mean, ever since I met you last year, Erika, you have always wanted to be a basketball player. You have always wanted
to do things confidently with your body and with
your brain, and, I mean, she's an incredibly good,
kindhearted friend also, but it's very cool to see the grit in her. And you can see it when she,
you know is just determined to do something. - [Interviewer] Do you ever see pictures of when you were conjoined? - Yes. - We have some in our room. - [Interviewer] What do you think when you see those pictures? - I don't know. I wish to be a baby again. (laughs) - I'm glad that they don't remember. They'd love to see videos. It still makes me cry,
you know, watching them. And it makes me smile
to see the way they were when they started talking,
and, you know, being conjoined and dragging. We called it the crab crawl, you know, when Eva and Erika would
crawl you know, backwards. You know, it was cute. - [Interviewer] You told
me that you don't like when people stare at your prosthetic. What about if people ask
questions? Do you like that? - Yes, I love that they ask questions because they get to know us
better, and they get to see what was in the past and
what happened in the past. It's, like, our history
behind us, but then we're bringing it back in
front of us and telling them. - Being separated at such a young age, they adapt so quickly. You know, speaking with
another mom that had separated her children at the age of five, I guess, they still felt a little bit of trauma, because they do remember. So, talking to her, and then
doing a little bit of reading that kids after the age of
three do remember things, I was pushing the doctor,
like, we have to do it before the age of three,
before the age of three. (shuffling) - What are you doing? - Show to do this. (laughs) - How does she do that? (shuffling) - No, watch. - Yes. So, like this?
Like this? Yes. Ta-da! - [Interviewer] What's
the most important thing for your friends at school to
know about prosthetic legs? - That, like, if I have a
prosthetic and it's hard, like, I can do it by myself,
only if I keep trying. And, like, sometimes
my friends want to help when I really don't need their help. - [Interviewer] Eva, how do you feel when people try to help you too much? - Very stressful. Sometimes I
get very angry inside my head. - But from last year, Eva
struggled to do almost anything by herself. And so, to see Eva go, and
when I ask her question. Well, what are you doing
here? How are you doing this? She's got it. She is
comfortable. She is confident. - [Interviewer] Does
Mrs. Chiles make you feel more confident? - Yes. - [Interviewer] What does being confident make you feel like? - Like I'm normal. - [Interviewer] Do you not
always want people to help you because you want a
chance to learn yourself? - Yes. - [Interviewer] If you
need help, will you ask? - Yes, I will ask. - I'd like to say, for the
girls, when you see this that I want you to keep
challenging yourself. You got this. - [Interviewer] Are you proud of them? - I am very proud of you. - [Interviewer] Do you
want your friends at school and your classmates to know your story? - Yes. - [Interviewer] Why? - Even though they already know it. It's, like, whenever they
look down at my prosthetic, like I said, I'm concerned
about how they feel and if they're like, don't what to say, I'm like, Ms. Chiles, can you
please watch this new video that just came out by SBSK?
