Condition of Nigerian Siamese Twins Stable after Surgery in Saudi Arabia

The surgery took place at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital of King Abdulaziz Medical City of the National Guard. SPA
The surgery took place at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital of King Abdulaziz Medical City of the National Guard. SPA
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Condition of Nigerian Siamese Twins Stable after Surgery in Saudi Arabia

The surgery took place at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital of King Abdulaziz Medical City of the National Guard. SPA
The surgery took place at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital of King Abdulaziz Medical City of the National Guard. SPA

Advisor at the Royal Court, Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), and head of the medical and surgical team for separating Siamese twins Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah said the condition of the Nigerian Siamese twins Hasnah and Hussaynah remains stable following their successful separation surgery in Riyadh.

The surgery took place on Thursday at King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital of King Abdulaziz Medical City of the National Guard.

Al Rabeeah noted that the twins are currently in intensive care, under anesthesia, receiving intravenous nutrition, and necessary medications to ensure the stability of their condition.

He said all medical indicators for the twins are reassuring, and the medical team is diligently monitoring their health in the pediatric intensive care unit.

He added that the twins will remain in the intensive care unit for approximately ten days to two weeks before being transferred to the children’s ward after a thorough evaluation of their condition. Al Rabeeah also provided detailed explanations about the twins’ health condition to their parents.



World War II Sergeant Whose Plane Was Shot Down over Germany Honored with Reburial in California

This 1944 photo provided by Honoring Our Fallen shows WWII veteran US Army Air Force Tech. Sgt. Donald V. Banta from Los Angeles. Banta, 21, was killed in action in early 1944 when his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Gotha, Germany. On Thursday, July 25, 2024 community members lined the roads to honor Banta as he was brought from Ontario International Airport in southern California to a burial home. (Honoring Our Fallen via AP)
This 1944 photo provided by Honoring Our Fallen shows WWII veteran US Army Air Force Tech. Sgt. Donald V. Banta from Los Angeles. Banta, 21, was killed in action in early 1944 when his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Gotha, Germany. On Thursday, July 25, 2024 community members lined the roads to honor Banta as he was brought from Ontario International Airport in southern California to a burial home. (Honoring Our Fallen via AP)
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World War II Sergeant Whose Plane Was Shot Down over Germany Honored with Reburial in California

This 1944 photo provided by Honoring Our Fallen shows WWII veteran US Army Air Force Tech. Sgt. Donald V. Banta from Los Angeles. Banta, 21, was killed in action in early 1944 when his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Gotha, Germany. On Thursday, July 25, 2024 community members lined the roads to honor Banta as he was brought from Ontario International Airport in southern California to a burial home. (Honoring Our Fallen via AP)
This 1944 photo provided by Honoring Our Fallen shows WWII veteran US Army Air Force Tech. Sgt. Donald V. Banta from Los Angeles. Banta, 21, was killed in action in early 1944 when his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Gotha, Germany. On Thursday, July 25, 2024 community members lined the roads to honor Banta as he was brought from Ontario International Airport in southern California to a burial home. (Honoring Our Fallen via AP)

After 80 years, a World War II sergeant killed in Germany has returned home to California.

On Thursday, community members lined the roads to honor US Army Air Force Tech. Sgt. Donald V. Banta as he was brought from Ontario International Airport to a burial home in Riverside, California, The AP reported.

Banta, 21, was killed in action in early 1944 when his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire over Gotha, Germany, according to Honoring Our Fallen, an organization that provides support to families of fallen military and first responders.

One of the surviving crewmembers saw the plane was on fire, then fell in a steep dive before exploding on the ground. After the crash, German troops buried the remains of one soldier at a local cemetery, while the other six crewmembers, including Banta, were unaccounted for.

Banta was married and had four sisters and a brother. He joined the military because of his older brother Floyd Jack Banta, who searched for Donald Banta his whole life but passed away before he was found.

Donald Banta's niece was present at the planeside honors ceremony at the Ontario airport coordinated by Honoring Our Fallen.

The remains from the plane crash were initially recovered in 1952, but they could not be identified at the time and were buried in Belgium. Banta was accounted for Sept. 26, 2023, following efforts by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency within the US Department of Defense and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System.