DNI Special to Feature Conjoined Twins

SILVER SPRING: Discovery Networks International (DNI) has commissioned Figure 8 Films to produce Dominican Conjoined Twins (working title), an hour-long special featuring a pair of 19-month-old conjoined twins from the Dominican Republic.

The special will air across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Asia Pacific on TLC and Home & Health during the second quarter of 2012. It will also air in the U.S. on TLC in 2012. The special features the surgery of the twins Maria and Teresa Tapia, who were joined at the abdomen and chest, and shared a liver, pancreas and a portion of the small intestine. The special captures their successful separation at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.

“This special is raw, authentic storytelling at its best—and with DNI’s extensive footprint, we’ll have the opportunity to share Maria and Teresa’s amazing story with millions across the globe,” said Julian Bellamy, the creative director and head of production and development at Discovery Networks International. “Our cameras gained unprecedented access into this medical miracle, chronicling the incredible surgical process while providing unique insight into the girls’ lives before and after this life-threatening surgery.”