Conjoined twins, Ronnie and Donnie Galyon of Beavercreek, pass away

BEAVERCREEK — The oldest living set of conjoined twins, Ronnie and Donnie Galyon, passed away this morning at Hospice of Dayton.

The Beavercreek twins were in hospice since Wednesday, said Jim Galyon, brother of Ronnie and Donnie.

“I am grateful to the community for what they did to help Ronnie and Donnie move into their house,” Jim said.

“This allowed them to live with their family for the last 10 years.”

Ronnie and Donnie lived with their brother, Jim, and his wife, Mary, in Beavercreek.

In 2010, more than 200 local volunteers helped building professionals put an addition on Jim’s home to help the twins live comfortably.

They suffered from arthritis and it became unsafe for them to live alone in their Dayton home.

“It’s been inspiring to see how many hundreds of people have stepped up the plate and donated time and materials,” John Harkleroad said in 2010. He was the project manager for Brentwood, the general contractor.

“I’ve seen the best part of humanity.”

In 2014, the Galyons, who were joined at their abdomen, surpassed the lifespan of Chang and Eng Bunker, the world’s first known conjoined twins.

The milestone of becoming the oldest living set of conjoined twins was a huge life event for Ronnie and Donnie, Jim said in 2014.

The two would talk about it constantly, marking their calendar off everyday, he said.

“It’s what me and Donnie’s always dreamed about, and we hope to get the ring, because we’ve dreamed about getting this since we were kids,” Ronnie Galyon said the year they set a new record.

The twins were a special part of the Beavercreek community.

Beavercreek will certainly feel the absence of their presence and they will be missed.

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