St Andrew funeral honours Azora Elson, Jamaica's first separated conjoined twin

Azora Elson lived only a short time, yet relatives, carers and medical staff say the mark she left will not fade easily. She entered the world on 7 November 2023 at the University Hospital of the West Indies, tethered at the abdomen to her twin sister, Azaria.

Claudia Nelson-Rodney, a certified neonatal registered nurse, told those gathered at Haile Selassie High School in St Andrew on Saturday that she counted it an honour to help look after Iesha McMurray's "princesses" from the earliest days. Nelson-Rodney gave the tribute at baby Azora's funeral. "I have been there throughout the earlier part of their lives until she left," she said.

The child passed away on 30 March, roughly four months after surgeons in Saudi Arabia completed a demanding operation to separate the pair at the King Abdullah Specialist Children's Hospital. Azora and Azaria hold the distinction of being Jamaica's first documented conjoined twins. They were attached at the abdomen and shared one liver. After stabilising at UHWI, both were airlifted abroad for the procedure aimed at giving each girl a separate chance at life.

Speaking to the congregation, Nelson-Rodney noted that although the sisters were physically joined, they were never treated as one patient. "Conjoined as they were, they were two different bodies, two different personalities and two different treatments throughout their lives," she said.

For long stretches of the service, Odane Elson, Azora's father, remained at the side of a small pink coffin that held her remains. Family photographs of a cheerful toddler covered the casket, standing in stark relief against the grief visible on his face as he watched over it.

The ceremony brought fresh sorrow for Iesha McMurray, Azora's mother, who had set out from Jamaica believing both daughters would come home. Instead, she reached Payne Land in St Andrew carrying Azaria in her arms while Azora travelled in the coffin.

Nelson-Rodney was among nurses from the University Hospital of the West Indies neonatal intensive care unit and Ward 15 who came to the funeral. She spoke of watching the twins develop and said Azora's spirited nature stood out. "Azora had this little feisty personality, and we didn't have to ask where it came from," she told mourners.

She recalled the toddler's gestures—quick glances, a pursed mouth and the wary look she fixed on strangers who approached. "Azaria, her twin, may be a little bit more forgiving. Azora would ensure that you were not out of her sight," Nelson-Rodney said, prompting gentle laughter in the hall.

Shifts with Azora, she added, could never be taken for granted. "It would be a joy to come in the mornings to talk to her, to see what side you would get that day from Azora," she said. "It would range from that sleepy stare, that side eye, the pouted lips, or my favourite, that sweet little smile that I had the privilege of watching move from a very gummy one to one with teeth."

Turning to the twins' medical history, Nelson-Rodney acknowledged that clinicians are counselled to keep distance, yet some cases refuse to leave the heart. "In my area of practice, we celebrate the smallest wins, we acknowledge the setbacks and we pray for the best. We have been tested through and through in her journey," she said. "We are taught not to be emotional. We are taught not to get attached. Being exposed to medical information only helps you know statistics, but when you work in the health field, we are exposed to miracles."

The nurse said Azora's story repeatedly showed her that medicine does not control every outcome. She also praised McMurray's steadfast belief during the ordeal, noting the mother's recurring conviction: "What God cannot do does not exist."