Once Conjoined Twins Successfully Separated and Home From Hospital

Awaiting her eight-week ultrasound, Stephanie Castle shared a curious experience with her technician: 

“I had a dream last night that I was having conjoined twins,” she confided. “So as long as that isn’t the case, I’ll be oaky.” 

As it turned out, Stephanie was pregnant with conjoined twins – and she and her husband, Pastor Dwight Castle of Birmingham, Ala., were okay with it. 

“I think in a lot of ways, God has sort of been preparing us for this for a while,’’ Dwight said. “We’ve grown certainly in awareness of how challenging it’s going to be and knowing we probably don’t know the half of it. But we have an increasing faith in the Lord that He is so clearly over this and providing for us.” 

According to the Castles, abortion was never something they considered. But as believers with a firm reliance on God’s sovereignty, that doesn’t mean the path was easy. 

“He gives us new mercies each day and He’s faithful to do that,” said Dwight. We just try to take it a day at a time and remember His faithfulness every step of the way and it really does fuel us to trust Him.” 

Seven months following the twin’s birth, separation surgery was successfully performed. It took 14 hours. 

Earlier this month, the Castles emerged from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and returned home to Birmingham. 

“Well, we have some HUGE news to share!!” they wrote on Facebook. “After 323 days in the hospital, and a whopping 338 days after we left home to start this crazy journey, all seven of us are FINALLY under one roof (and that roof is our home)!!” 

They continued: 

“All praise and thanks be to Jesus, who has sustained us every single step of the way, even when it has looked like we were too low. Which has been more often than we would like to admit or think about. This journey is far from over, and to be honest, we are ALMOST too tired to really appreciate this day like we should. Almost. But not quite. Today, as tired as we are and as overwhelmed as we feel, we are rejoicing. God has been SO good to our family and we are absolutely overjoyed to finally have Susannah AND Elizabeth home with us!! The prayers and the love of God‘s people, the comfort of the Holy Spirit, the incredible medical care from the best, and great mercy from the Lord’s hands have brought us to this point.” 

They then shared a word from Psalm 34: 

“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all of his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and delivers them. Oh taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”  

God’s gift of life overpowers and supersedes man’s desire for certainty and convenience. The Castles didn’t know how this would turn out – but they trusted in God who did. Join us in giving thanks to the Lord for His kindness to the Castle family and for their faithfulness to Him.