Conjoined twin influencers dead at age 27 after going into cardiac arrest while preparing for operation

Conjoined twin influencers Jose Luis and Jose Armando Cevallos Herrera have died at age 27 after they both went into sudden cardiac arrest within minutes of one another, while they were preparing for an operation that would have helped them walk.

The heartbreaking news was confirmed by a post shared to their joint Instagram account on Thursday.

'With deep sorrow and sadness, the team of [Jose Luis and Jose Armando] wishes to inform their followers and the entire community that our beloved twins passed away in the early hours of this morning,' the post read.

'Their story, their smiles and their outlook on life left an incredible mark on many hearts. 

'We are left with the joy of knowing that they were happy fulfilling their dreams and achieving goals that filled them with hope.'

The post went on to thank everyone who 'supported them, believed in them and were part of their achievements.'

'Thank you for accompanying them in making their dreams come true and for giving them so much love along their journey,' the post continued.

The post said the twins' family was 'refraining from providing further information about what happened,' and asked for 'respect for their privacy during this difficult time.'

'Their legacy will live on in a phrase that always represented them: "Where there's a will, there's a way, and disability is no impediment to being happy,"' the post concluded. 

The brothers, who were based in Ecuador, were known as The Conjoined Twins of Ecuador and had gained over 60,000 followers by documenting their journey.

They were conjoined at the chest and pelvis and shared one set of legs, as well as a liver and intestine. 

According to local radio station La Voz de Milagro, they passed away in a hospital in Colombia.

They flew there in April to try to improve their mobility, and had been working extensively in a rehabilitation facility. The Sun reported that they were preparing for a procedure that would have helped them walk.

However, last week, Jose Luis reportedly became ill and started vomiting before he developed urinary tract problems.

Their brother, Damian, told the radio station that Jose Luis had a heart attack on Thursday, but was resuscitated.

He said he was told they were 'stable,' but hours later, they both suffered heart attacks and died.

'Jose Armando had already suffered the heart attack and couldn't withstand it, and it took Jose Luis with him,' he said.

Since birth, the social media stars struggled to walk and used a skateboard to get around. 

'We used to drag ourselves along the floor and it was difficult because we had no coordination with our legs,' Jose Luis previously explained in a social media video.

However, they were determined to learn how to walk normally; one of their most recent videos showed them using a walker and trying to stand on their own. 

'There were certain moments when we cried because we wanted to walk normally on both feet,' Jose Luis said.

The two have been open about how despite their struggles, they didn't want to be separated.

Jose Armando once said that being conjoined with his brother was 'the most beautiful gift' he could have asked for.