Five months after arriving in Melbourne as conjoined 15-month-olds the adorable tots are flying back to Bhutan

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Smiling toddler twins Nima and Dawa are ready to leave their temporary Aussie home for a new start as individual girls in Bhutan.

Five months after they arrived in Melbourne as conjoined 15-month-olds, the adorable tots have been given the medical green light and are due to jet to their Himalayan home on Wednesday.

Surgeons at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s hospital successfully separated the girls during a lengthy and risky procedure in November.

They had been joined at the torso and shared a liver and the procedure involved up to 25 surgeons, nurses and anaesthetists.

Separated twins Nima and Dawa leave hospital after surgery success Read more

After a short stay in hospital, the twins recovered at a retreat run by the Children First Foundation, with staff describing the pair as cheeky and happy.

On Wednesday, the girls made their first public outing, appearing as star guests for the foundation’s 20th anniversary at Melbourne’s Government House.

During the event it was announced that the girls and their mother will fly out of Australia on Wednesday afternoon.