Maria de Jesus, left, (shown earlier this summer) and Maria Teresa shared little brain tissue and have strong hearts, good signs for a successful result, doctors say. (RICHARD HARTOG / LAT)
Naomi Bronstein, co-founder of Healing the Children, which brought the girls to UCLA, kisses the foot of Maria de Jesus Quiej-Alvarez on June 21. The conjoined twin, Maria Teresa, faces the other way. (RICHARD HARTOG / LAT)
An angiogram showed that the twins shared blood vessels in the brain. (RICHARD HARTOG / LAT)
UCLA and doctors are donating services to separate Maria Teresa, left, and Maria de Jesus. Cost is estimated at $1.5 million. (RICHARD HARTOG / LAT)
The twins’ mother, Alba Leticia Quiej-Alvarez, 22, learns about her daughters’ condition earlier this summer at the Mattel Children’s Hospital. (RICHARD HARTOG / LAT)
Maria Teresa, left, and Maria de Jesus crawl around earlier this summer under the watchful eyes of Dr. Alice Lim, left, and Dr. Rachelle Tyler. (RICHARD HARTOG / LAT)
