The formerly conjoined Ayeni twins celebrated their first Christmas as separated twins after a successful operation in the United States of America. Miracle and Testimony Ayeni, from Nigeria, were conjoined at the pelvis.

The girls, who turned one today, underwent an 18-hour operation at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, on November 7 and 8.

They arrived in the US on June 28 with their parents Samuel Olusegun Ayeni and Mary Abiodun Ayeni, their older sister, and their pastor after being offered free flights from a Nigerian airline Arik Air.

It was their only hope at separating the girls, after trying and failing to find a hospital nearby that could carry out the operation. Finally, after months of research, they were referred to Le Bonheur, whose surgeons offered to do the life-saving operation free of charge.

The incredibly delicate operation to separate Jadon and Anias McDonald took 27 hours, and the lead surgeon has admitted he considered stopping halfway through.