GIVING A HUG to Dr. C. Everett Koop,  Rod r ig'uez., A t&am' of 23 doctors performed
who headed the Philadelphia surgicai team the lo-hour'o'peraitohfor lbmonthaold Clara '
which. separated her Siamese  twin dnd Alta. Bqt!.sirls'are now reported-to be
daughters two days earlier, is Mrs. Farida doing fine. "                             

Mrs. Farida Rodriguez and br. C. Everett Koop express their happiness over Siamese twin operation
                       .


Hug `From Surgeon Breaks the Ice



' By DONALD C. DRAKE `- life of a farmer's wife in
    Inquirsr M&l wr4tu     Dominican \  Republic-to
The mother of the Siamese' share her `experience with the
twins clearly wasn't very, world.
happy sitting under the flood-  "Smile, krs. Rodriquez,
lights facing a roomful of te-  smile," a television man said
leviSiOn CalIleras and news- in broken Spanish.
men.
Twd days'earlier a surgical '  She sat with arms'clutched
              across her chest, her head

team under Dr. C. Everett rigid. ._ As   the   cameras
Koop at Children's Hospital clicked, her eyes darted but
had separated her *  twin the head remained motion-

daughters `in a ' Jemarkably less-
suc~essfnl .operation, aqd the  Most at the talking was
             done'by Mrs. Diana Zimnoch

time had come for Mrs.. Far- of Warrington who got th,,
ida Rodriquez-who' I.&$ `ie- Children's H&pita1 staff ii
cently had led the secluded terested in the case and,

through her church, raised
the money to bring Mrs. R@
driquez to Philadelphia.

Mrs. Zimnoch reported that
a Philadelphia man had d6-
nated money to pay Mrs. Ro-
driquez' fare to go home to
her five other children while
the twins are recuperating
here for a month and to re-
turn later to take them home.

She said also that a cable
had been sent to the family
right after the operation. It
said: "The`girls were oper-
ated on successfully. Thank
God. Both doing well."
Suddenly Dr. Koop, a bear
of a man with a Lincolnesque

beard, pushed into the room
and sat next to Mrs. Rodri-
quez. She threw her arms
around him.

Dr. Koop, moved himself,
hugged her back. Then he
said that both girls were
doing beautifully.

He said Clara was no
longer getting drugs that par-
alyze her muscles to keep
from hurting  the wound in
her abdomen. She had also
been taken off the breathing
machine.

Her sister Alta would be
taken off drugs and the
breathing machine t o d a y
at the latest, he said.