Carlsen twins at home, at last

By Maura Lerner, Star Tribune

Last update: June 6, 2006 - 11:23 PM

After 103 days and one life-changing operation, Abby and Belle Carlsen returned to their home in Fargo on Tuesday, no longer conjoined but still the object of fascination among friends and strangers alike.

About 100 people were at the Fargo airport to greet the 6-month-old twins and their parents, Amy and Jesse Carlsen, on their return from the Mayo Clinic, where the girls were separated May 12.

A church youth group's sign proclaimed: "Welcome home to a new beginning."

The twins and their parents were flown by air ambulance from Rochester, accompanied by two Mayo Clinic nurses and photographers from two of the dozens of news organizations that have followed the family's story.

Tuesday morning, well-wishers gathered outside the Ronald McDonald House in Rochester, where Amy and Jesse Carlsen had lived since the girls were hospitalized in February. Running late for their flight, the Carlsens piled into a waiting van, which had a dead battery. "We'll never get out of this town," Jesse Carlsen joked. Jumper cables saved the day, much to his wife's relief. "Au revoir, Rochester," she said.

The twins are scheduled to return to the Mayo Clinic in a few weeks for a checkup.

Maura Lerner

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