Conjoined twins Donnie and Ronnie Galyon mark huge milestone

This weekend, Donnie and Ronnie Galyon turned 62 years, 8 months and 7 days old, outliving Eng and Chang Bunker, the famous 19th century "Siamese Twins."

"Put it this way, I’m stoked," Ronnie, 62, told the Dayton Daily News last Wednesday.

"They are talking about it constantly, day in and day out," their younger brother, Jim Galyon, told the newspaper as he planned a celebratory block party in the days leading up to their milestone weekend. "They've been marking their calendar off every day, counting down to the day, so it's a huge life event for Donnie and Ronnie."

Friends and neighbours gathered to celebrate the twins' big day on Saturday. Donnie and Ronnie had long had the goal of living longer than the Bunker twins, who were a famous sideshow act and arguably the most well-known conjoined twins to have ever lived.

"I had promised, 'You get there, we're going to have a really big bash,'" Jim told ABC News on the day of the party. "We've had a lot of friends and family coming in from five different states and local neighbours."

In October, Donnie and Ronnie, who are joined at the sternum, hope to go down in history as the oldest conjoined twins. That month, they turn 63, and would pass the world record currently held by Giacomo and Giovanni Battista Tocci of Italy.

That milestone would get them what they want most: Recognition from Guinness World Records.

"It's what me and Donnie's always dreamed about, and we hope to get the ring, because we've dreamed about getting this since we were kids," Ronnie told the Dayton Daily News.

The twins performed in circus acts and sideshows, often supporting their entire family, until they retired to the Dayton area in 1991.

"It was fun," Ronnie told MLive. "You do what you got to do."

"We've had a nice life," Donnie added.

The twins have been living with their brother, Jim, and his wife, Mary, in Beavercreek, Ohio, for the past four years. They moved in because they were experiencing poor health — Ronnie was sick with a virus that affected Donnie's health, too — and could no longer do anything on their own. Their health has improved significantly since then, and the twins can once again get up on their own and go on fishing trips and go to baseball games.

Mary believes their custom bed created by a team from Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids has played a role in their increased quality of life.

"Four years and not one bedsore," Jim said. "That's not just the bed – that's the care they're getting. But that’s huge."

"Now, every day, I wake up from this bed feeling relaxed and refreshed," Ronnie said. "After having this bed here, I wake up every day and have a big smile on my face."

Jim is proud of his older brothers, regardless of world records.

"They are special. I am very proud of them," Jim told MLive. "It's been an up-and-down road taking care of them, but it's been worth every moment. They are alive, and they are happy. They are healthy, and they're free."