Community Corner

VIDEO: Five Leap Day Babies Born at White Plains Hospital

The new arrivals include boy and girl twins, as well as a Jeremy Lin namesake.

Leap Day Twins John Damien Reda and Alexis Isabel Reda won’t have to worry about sharing a birthday or celebrating their birth once everyday four years.

Parents Justin and Marissa Reda of Bronxville said the youngest—John, who will go by his middle name Damien—will keep Feb. 28, while his sister—born one minute later at 8:32 a.m.—will claim March 1.

Their very first birthday bash was thrown by who held a party for all five of its Leap Day babies—three boys and two girls—born in the William and Sylvia Silberstein Neonatal and Maternity Center on Wednesday.  

Find out what's happening in Pleasantville-Briarcliff Manorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Leap Year babies deserve an extra special welcome to the world,” said John Schanlder, president and CEO of the hospital, in a press release. “We want them to know as they grow up, that White Plains Hospital marked their arrivals with enthusiasm and four years’ worth of celebration and good wishes.”

Two mothers were in labor on the afternoon of Feb. 29—an extra day in the year that comes every four years during a Leap Yearthat could bring the total up to seven Leap Day babies for 2012.  There were two babies born on Feb. 29 in 2008 and 2004. Click to learn more about leap year.

Find out what's happening in Pleasantville-Briarcliff Manorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to White Plains Hospital, these five children represent 1 percent of the U.S. population, about 200,000 people, who are born on Leap Day. Only four million people out of six billion people in the entire world are born on that day.

!

The hospital presented each of the Leap Day mothers with a gift certificate to the , a spa gift basket, teddy bears, and other goodies from Straight A’s, , , as well as mommy and me yoga classes from .

Jency and Abi Mathew of Yonkers also welcomed a Leap Day baby who they named after their favorite New York Knicks basketball player Jeremy Lin.  Baby girl Priyanka Lynn Mathew was born at 4:51 a.m., weighs 7.02 pounds and is 19 inches long.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here