Dignity Health and Cottage Hospitals Deliver Leap Year Babies

Newborns will have to wait until 2028 to see their birthdays on the calendar

Thursday was a special day at Marian Regional Medical Center (MRMC) in Santa Maria, French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) in San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital as families and labor and delivery staff celebrated the arrival of newborns on Leap Day.

Leap Day, falling on February 29, is a unique occurrence that adds an extra day to the calendar every four years. Babies born on this rare day are affectionately recognized as “leaplings” or “leapers.”

The chances of being born on Leap Day are one in 1,461.

Four “leaplings” were delivered at Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria as of 4 p.m. Thursday, while French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo celebrated three healthy newborns on Leap Day, and one arrived in Santa Barbara.

On the unique day, nurses were leaping for joy at MRMC’s Family Birthing Center and the Stollmeyer Family Birthing Center at FHMC as they presented the little leapers with special orange onesies with a little leapfrog on them.

The first little one, a boy named Sergio, arrived just after midnight Thursday at Marian Regional Medical Center, with his successful delivery completed at 12:10 a.m. Three additional newborns were delivered by the L&D staff at MRMC Thursday.

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital introduced Ezra Kai Avila, born on February 29, 2024, at 2:19 a.m., weighing 6 pounds, 7 ounces, and measuring 19.5 inches in length. Ezra’s proud parents, Veronica Ortega and Miguel Angel Avila of Goleta were overjoyed by his arrival. As first- time parents, they found Ezra’s Leap Day birth exciting and unique.

The local hospitals extended heartfelt congratulations to all the families who welcomed their newborns on this special day. They will celebrate their birthdays in 2028, 2032 and 2036 and so on!