dr. hartmann and dr. nathan. what do you think a reduction in social security benefits would mean for seniors in this country? ms. ruggles? >> they seniors that i deal with and especially the ones that i talked to at the vermont training associates, they are all terrified. plain and simple, terrified to expect to live on the earnings statement which unfortunately we no longer get. but you know, their standard of living, they were working adults and all of them that i was at these meetings with, they were working adults. these aren't bums just standing around waiting for handouts. these were hard-working people that wanted to keep working. they knew they couldn't survive on social security. >> dr. hartmann? >> in the survey that we took, we asked retirees and near retirees before challenges that they would face. one would be not having enough savings, going to a nursing home, not being able to pay for health care but the single thing they were the most afraid of was the possibility that social security benefits wo

dr. hartmann who four years ago performed his first successful operation on another set of conjoined twins. >> we will be grately eternal. god bless us all. >> my expectation is that they will bounce back from this quite well. young children are very resilient. >> reporter: two special sisters now living separate lives but their bond forever strong. the girls will spend the next few days in intensive care and about a week or so in a regular room. their family says there will be an adjustment period but it's one they couldn't be happier about. matt? >> miguel, what a great story, miguel almaguer in california thank you very much. it's 19 minutes after the hour. here's ann. >> thanks. >>> in new york city a woman who devoted her life to helping children in need is fighting for her life today, the victim of a horrible prank and the suspects are the same kids she was trying to reach. nbc's stephanie gosk is at the scene this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, ann, this is a sad story. philanthropist marianne hedges and her 13-year-old son walked out of the shopping center with b