Twin boys Amari and Javar Ruffin, who were born conjoined, were successfully separated at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia last August when they were 11 months old.
The twins had shared a liver and sternum.
Now, at age two, they are learning how to move, play and grow independently. Their parents, Timothy and Sheneka Ruffin, say the past year has been full of firsts and new accomplishments.
The boys attend therapy every Monday to work on walking and motor skills. Some milestones have been achieved, while others - like eating and chewing - are still in progress.
"So, like, think of all the things that a baby learns to do before they're a year old, and so those two were together, learning it together, and then suddenly they were apart. And so there are huge adjustments," said Dr. Holly Hedrick.
One major focus is building core strength. While the twins are still mastering walking, climbing stairs and keeping up with their two older siblings, doctors say you would never guess their medical history when meeting them.
"It's great to see how far they came. For me, I'm just always looking at all the new things that they're doing. Like, they could be doing something yesterday, then doing something different today, and I'm like, oh my gosh, I didn't know you could do that," said Sheneka Ruffin.
The Ruffin family says this Christmas is a celebration of resilience and progress.