They were born joined at the back of the skull and faced in opposite directions.
In late 1997, neurosurgeon Ben Carson led a team of 50 Zambian and South African specialists to separate the 11-month-old twins in a 28-hour operation.
In an interview, Carson stated about the operation: However, a Zambia Daily Mail reporter revisiting the Bandas at 21 discovered Joseph, though able to care for himself, had not been able to attend school because of "mental challenges" that impeded his learning.
He is described as "reclusive", preferring to stay within a kilometer of home, and was "not very responsive" when his parents hired an in-home tutor for him.
[4] Luka dropped out of school in the Grade Nine, and was often bullied due to the scars on his head.