Former conjoined twin honored for independence

Early in "The Wizard of Oz," Dorothy turns

her eyes skyward and sings the film's famous lullaby: "If happy little

bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why, oh why, can't I?"

It's Elise Hansen's favorite film, and she can empathize with the Kansas girl's plight.

Elise and her twin sister, Lisa, were born conjoined at the head. Thirty years ago, the two were successfully separated.

Though they survived the surgery, the sisters suffer mental and

physical disabilities. But Elise has not let such limitations stop her

from flying out into the world and living the life she wants.

After she graduated from Northridge High School in 2000, Elise found

a job at the Pioneer Adult Rehabilitation Center in Clearfield. She

puts together cold-weather kits for the Marine Corps — a project that

leaves no room for error — despite having only one fully functioning

hand, said Merri Ann Perkins, PARC's business development manager.

But Elise didn't stop there. Four years later, she found a second

job at the Wal-Mart in Clinton, which was looking for a new greeter.

"The neat thing about Elise is she was the one who wanted it and pushed for it," Perkins said.

She has excelled in her new position, always helping people who are

carrying more than they can handle, like a mother with two bags and a

baby, Perkins said. On one of her first days as a Wal-Mart greeter,

Elise stopped a man from stealing a flat-screen television.

"If she had full capacity, she'd be the manager by now," said her father, Dave Hansen.

Impressed by her independence and personal drive for excellence,

Perkins nominated Elise for the national Evelyne Villines Award, an