Meet Ronnie and Donnie Galyon, the world's unofficial oldest-living conjoined twins

Ronnie and Donnie Galyon surpass world record for longest living conjoined twins and celebrate their 63rd birthday at Disney World and Busch Gardens
The Ohio twins in October celebrated their longevity milestone playing at Florida's amusement parks
Ronnie and Donnie Galyon are joined at the waist and face each other and have four arms, four legs and separate hearts and stomachs
They share a lower digestive tract, a groin, a rectum and penis, over which Donnie has control
The Galyons beat the previous record holders, Italian twins Giacomo and Giovanni Battista Tocci, who were born in 1877 and lived to be 63
Their younger brother Jim says Ronnie and Donnie are 'really healthy'
Ronnie and Donnie Galyon may be the world's oldest conjoined twins, but when they celebrated their 63rd birthday recently, they decided to keep it young — with a trip to Florida's amusement parks.

The Galyon twins, of Ohio, unofficially reached the milestone the day after they turned 63 on Oct. 28.

They beat out the previous record held for more than seven decades by Giacomo and Giovanni Battista Tocci, who were born in Italy in 1877 and lived to be 63.

Meet Ronnie and Donnie Galyon, the world's unofficial oldest-living conjoined twins. They celebrated their 63rd birthday in October





The Galyons (pictured above in July) beat out the previous record holders, Italian twins Giacomo and Giovanni Battista Tocci, who were born in 1877 and lived to be 63. The Toccis held the record for more than 70 years

Months earlier, on July 5, they lived one day longer than Chang and Eng Bunker, another set of conjoined twins who claimed the world's second-place spot in longevity.

They celebrated that milestone with a block party in their hometown of Beavercreek, just outside of Dayton.




Relatives say Ronnie and Donnie, veterans of the circus and carnivals, are enjoying their time in the spotlight.

'It's a lifelong dream, and they are absolutely loving it,' their brother, Jim Galyon, told MLive.com.

Jim Galyon took the twins to Florida as their birthday gift.

'While they could still get out, I said, 'Guys, let's go ahead and make the trek this year,' he added.

Meet the world's oldest conjoined twins





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The twins live outside Dayton, Ohio with their younger brother Jim (pictured in July)




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Jim and his wife Mary, who share a house with Ronnie and Donnie, enjoy a sunny July day with Ronnie and Donnie (file photo)

The Galyon brothers spent the birthday visiting Disney World and Busch Gardens, MLive.com reported.

At Christmas, there was a tree and plenty of presents in the living room of the house Ronnie and Donnie share with their brother Jim and his wife, Mary.

'We have a lot to be grateful for,' Jim said. 'They are really healthy.'

The twins are yet to receive their official certificate from the Guinness World Records confirming they're the longest-living conjoined twins in history. But they're living as if they're already first place.




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Ronnie and Donnie (pictured in July) supported their family from the age of four by performing in carnival sideshows in the U.S. and circuses throughout Central and South America

Ronnie and Donnie are joined at the waist and face each other. They have four arms and four legs and separate hearts and stomachs but share a lower digestive tract, a groin, a rectum and penis, over which Donnie has control.

The twins were born healthy in Dayton, Ohio, in October 1951 but stayed in the hospital for two years as doctors tried to figure out how to separate them.

When experts said they could not guarantee both babies would survive an operation to part them, the parents said they would stay as they were.

The men agree that was the best decision.

'The good Lord made us,' Ronnie has said. 'Let our savior do it.'




They had trouble sleeping for years, but received a custom-designed bed that Ronnie says allowed him to 'sleep like a baby'

From the age of four, the twins supported their family by performing in carnival sideshows in the U.S. and circuses throughout Central and South America.

When they tried to return to school, teachers told them to leave because they were too distracting to the other students.

They continued their work at circuses in Central and South America where they performed magic tricks and were treated 'like rock stars', Jim Galyon told MLive.com.

They retired in 1991 aged 39 and moved to Beavercreek to be close to Jim, who is younger by 11 years.




The twins lived in a hospital until their second birthday in 1953 (right) while doctors tried to figure out how to separate them. When the split seemed dangerous, their parents decided they should stay as they were

In 2010, they battled poor health when Ronnie suffered a viral infection that caused blood clots in his lungs and Jim wanted them to move in with him, but his home was not handicapped-accessible.

A family friend contacted the Christian Youth Corps, which helped accommodate the house for the twins' needs, including a kitchen, wife hallways, oversized bathroom and shower.

They also received a custom-designed bed from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which Ronnie said allowed him to 'sleep like a baby'.


Read more:
MLive.com: Health checkup: Conjoined twins Ronnie and Donnie Galyon going strong after surpassing record