Parents of formerly conjoined twins ‘relieved’ their sons are home after more than a year in hospital

“You have to think the man up there is really amazing,” mom Shaneka Ruffin told PEOPLE.

Children src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/V2NbByPNh6FJMf8SmHpeyw–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com//https://media.zenfs.com// ////////////////////////// 9e17b808a37f8c9827b23c4>Children src=https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/V2NbByPNh6FJMf8SmHpeyw–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media.zenfs.com//https://media.zenfs.com// ///////////////////////////// e17b808a37f8c9827b23c4 class=caas-img>

• Shaneka and Tim Ruffin say they were filled with “so many emotions” after their children were finally released from the hospital on Oct. 8, more than a year after they were born.

• “It was a surreal moment,” dad Tim tells PEOPLE

• The mother says she is now looking forward to being able to make memories together as a family of six

The parents of former conjoined twins say they still don’t believe their children are home after spending more than a year in hospital.

“It was exciting,” Shaneka Ruffin tells PEOPLE just days after sons Amari and Javar went home on Tuesday, Oct. 8, a day she says was “full of so many emotions.”

Dad Tim, 33, says: “It was a long journey … so it was a surreal moment, and I felt relieved and blessed.”

Related: Father of Formerly Conjoined Twins Hopes His Girls ‘Stay Close’: ‘I Always Tell Them’

The stay-at-home mom says the couple first learned their twins were conjoined when she was 12 weeks pregnant, and until then, thought she was only carrying one child.

“(The doctor) saw another heartbeat and said, ‘Oh, it’s two babies,'” recalls Shaneka, 34, who says her excitement was tempered when the doctor raised the possibility that her twins could be joined.

When this was confirmed, Shaneka says she was advised to terminate the pregnancy.

But the Philadelphia couple, who have been together for six years and were already parents to two, decided to seek a second opinion at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), one of the only hospitals in the United States that performs separation surgeries.

Never miss a story: Sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date with the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Although CHOP determined that separation was possible and then began to focus on making sure her babies had a safe delivery, Shaneka admits she struggled to feel connected to her children throughout her pregnancy

And when she gave birth to her children, who shared the lowest part of the sternum, diaphragm, abdominal wall and liver, on September 29, 2023, she says she still felt that distance.

But thanks to the hospital, which provided therapy, Shaneka was able to get the help she needed to be present for her children.

Related: Doctors speak out after separating conjoined twins in 3-day surgery: ‘It took a personal toll’

On August 21, after 10 months of planning, it was finally time for Amari and Javar’s 8-hour separation surgery.

During the procedure, the boys’ abdomens were closed and reconstructed, using layers of mesh and plastic surgery techniques to stabilize each, according to the hospital.

“When they came out of surgery, that’s when I broke down in tears because of the ride and I felt relieved,” Shaneka tells PEOPLE.

Now, thirteen days after their first birthday, parents hope their children will be home forever.

“You have to think that the man upstairs is really amazing,” says Shaneka. “You think about how we down here (are) doing our best, but he’s doing the impossible, what we think is impossible.”

Related: Baby Born Weighing Less Than 1 Lb. Home after 9 months in the NICU: “So grateful,” says mom

The mum says she is now looking forward to spending time with her family of six after feeling ‘mommy guilt’ about having to split her focus between her children and older siblings Kaylum and Anora.

“I’m having fun with my other kids, but it’s like they should be here,” she says. “So I’m looking forward to sharing those moments.”

For more Gent news, be sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.