Twins Carl and Clarence Aguirre, like many five-year-old boys, love to sing along with The Wiggles. They've even got their own musical instruments to play along with the tunes on the children's show: Carl plays drums, and Clarence strums his guitar. They also love to play-fight with each other, rolling around on the carpet of their suburban New York City home. The Aguirre twins seem normal in every way – and that's what makes them so amazing.

In fact, these remarkable boys were born as conjoined twins. Until the age of two, they were attached at the head, and it seemed likely they would stay that way for life: Their single mother was penniless, and the surgery required to separate them was very dangerous. But thanks to the skilled doctors who took on the complicated case for free, the twins were safely separated over a period of months. Despite predictions to the contrary, they soon learned to sit up and walk. By all accounts, these days, the twins aren't much different from any other kid in their kindergarten class – which you might call a medical miracle.

The Aguirre twins aren't the only ones who've stunned the world with their incredible recoveries: From internal decapitation to bionic limbs, we've tracked down some of the most unbelievable stories in recent medical history – the bizarre cases on Grey's Anatomy have got nothing on these true tales.

Back in January, Shannon Malloy was involved in a serious car crash. It was so serious, in fact, that her skull became separated from her spine, in a typically fatal condition known as "internal decapitation." But thanks to a combination of luck and sheer willpower, Malloy made it through: "I wasn't focused so much on the pain. I just kept thinking, 'I have to stay alive,'" she told 7News Denver. The recovery process hasn't been easy, though: To stabilize her skull after the accident, doctors drilled nine screws into her head and neck, and then attached her to a contraption called a "halo," which uses rods to hold her head upright. Though it's still a long road to full recovery, Malloy has learned to swallow again – a few months ago, she had her first bowl of ice cream since the accident. We bet nothing's ever tasted so good.

Army sergeant Jessica Clements was struck by a roadside bomb in Baghdad in 2004. She was hit by shrapnel in several places, but the most serious injury, to her brain, left her comatose: "I really had a lot of concern that potentially she might die on me on the operating table," neurosurgeon Jeffrey Poffenbarger told ABC News. Luckily, Clements survived the initial operation – but her doctors, fearing that swelling in her brain could still kill her, removed part of her skull and sewed it into her abdomen for safekeeping until they could reattach it to her head. Several weeks later, Clemens awoke from her coma. "They only gave me a two-percent chance of coming out of the coma and living, surviving," Clements told CBS News. "Somebody has to be in that two percent, though. Why not me?" Though she still feels occasional pain from her war injuries, the brave veteran believes she's a better person for her horrific experience: "I don't take anything for granted anymore," she said. Clements now plans to become a social worker, so that she can help other injured soldiers deal with their own traumatic experiences.

And finally, how about a real-life bionic woman? Claudia Mitchell can't run faster than a speeding car – but with her state-of-the-art bionic arm, she can peel a banana, which is still pretty impressive. Years ago, Mitchell lost her entire left arm in a motorcycle accident. For a while, she made do with just one arm, using her feet to grab objects when necessary. Now, thanks to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Mitchell has a motorized mechanical limb that functions nearly as well as her original arm: Incredibly, the artificial limb moves in response to Mitchell's own thoughts. Mitchell is only the fourth person in the world to use a bionic arm, and the miraculous device is still in its early days: Doctors are currently developing an updated version that will allow her to actually "feel" sensation in her prosthetic hand. But even the prototype is a huge help to Mitchell. "I use it to help with cooking, for holding a laundry basket, for folding clothes – all kinds of daily tasks," she told the Washington Post. Once again, she can reserve her feet for their intended purpose: Walking.

If these incredible stories are any indication, it sounds like modern medicine's got plenty of tricks up its sleeve. What's in store next – a cure for paralysis? Spontaneous regeneration? Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Original story by Kathryn Hawkins


Still in the mood for more medical miracles? Check out these amazing stories from our archives:

Toddler Has Superhuman Strength

Man Chopped in Half Learns to Walk Again

Premature Baby Beats 10,000-to-1 Odds of Survival

World's Only Known Rabies Survivor Graduates High School

Brain-Damaged Man Speaks for the First Time in Six Years