Baby Azora leaves lasting memories in brief life ... Former conjoined twin gets emotional farewell

Though her life was heartbreakingly brief, Azora Elson created memories that those who loved and cared for her say will last forever.

Born on November 7, 2023 at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Azora came into the world joined at the abdomen with her sister, Azaria.

Claudia Nelson-Rodney, a certified neonatal registered nurse, said she was privileged to have been among the first persons to care for Iesha McMurray’s “princesses”.

“I have been there throughout the earlier part of their lives until she left,” Nelson-Rodney said as she delivered the remembrance at baby Azora’s funeral at Haile Selassie High School in St Andrew on Saturday.

The toddler died on March 30, four months after she and her twin sister were separated in a complex procedure at the King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital in Saudi Arabia. Born as Jamaica’s first recorded conjoined twins, Azora and Azaria were joined at the abdomen and shared a liver. After initial care at the University Hospital of the West Indies, they were flown overseas for the life-changing surgery, which was intended to give each child a chance at independent survival.

Nelson-Rodney told mourners that although the girls had separate personalities and needs.

“Conjoined as they were, they were two different bodies, two different personalities and two different treatments throughout their lives,” she said.

For much of the service, Azora’s father, Odane Elson, stood beside the tiny pink casket bearing her remains, his grief laid bare as he kept close watch over the small box adorned with smiling images of the little girl whose brief life touched many hearts. The contrast between the cheerful photographs and his tears captured the depth of the loss felt throughout the ceremony.

For her mother, Iesha McMurray, the funeral marked yet another painful chapter in a journey that began with hope. She had left Jamaica expecting to return home with both of her toddlers alive, but instead returned to Payne Land, St Andrew, with one child in her arms and the other in a casket.

Nelson-Rodney, who was among the nurses from the University Hospital of the West Indies’ neonatal intensive care unit and Ward 15, who attended the funeral, said she had the honour of watching the girls grow. She said Azora’s bold personality has left a lasting impression.

“Azora had this little feisty personality, and we didn’t have to ask where it came from,” Nelson-Rodney said.

She remembered Azora’s little movements, side eyes, pouted lips and the suspicious stare she would give new persons who came near her.

“Azaria, her twin, may be a little bit more forgiving. Azora would ensure that you were not out of her sight,” she said, drawing smiles from mourners.

Nelson-Rodney said mornings with Azora were often unpredictable, but memorable.

“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.”

As she reflected on Azora’s medical journey, Nelson-Rodney said healthcare workers are trained to remain professional, but some patients leave a mark that cannot easily be separated from the work.

“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.”

Nelson-Rodney said the journey constantly reminded her that medical workers do not have the final say. She also remembered McMurray’s faith throughout the difficult period, saying the mother often held on to one belief: “What God cannot do does not exist.”