Seven Leap Day babies delivered at Dignity Health hospitals

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

CENTRAL COAST, February 29, 2024 – Thursday was a special day at Marian Regional Medical Center (MRMC) in Santa Maria and French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC) in San Luis Obispo as families and labor and delivery staff celebrated the arrival of newborns on Leap Day.

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.

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.

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

Leap Days occur every four years and are added to the calendar as a corrective measure because the Earth does not orbit the Sun in exactly 365 days, so adding a day just about every four years helps keep the seasons and calendars in sync.

Dignity Health Central Coast extends 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!

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About Marian Regional Medical Center

Marian Regional Medical Center is a state-of-the-art, 191-bed medical center located in Santa Maria, California. The modern facility is home to a broad array of services including a level II trauma center, a level III neonatal intensive care unit, a nationally recognized cardiac care center, and boasts the Central Coast’s only Comprehensive Community Cancer Program as recognized by the Commission on Cancer. 

About French Hospital Medical Center

French Hospital Medical Center is a state-of-the-art, 98-bed acute care hospital located in San Luis Obispo, California. French’s Oppenheimer Family Center for Emergency Medicine is the area’s most advanced emergency services center. The modern facility is home to the Copeland, Forbes, and Rossi Cardiac Care Center, is the county’s premier cardiac center, providing the latest cardiac and imaging technology, and the Hearst Cancer Resource Center offering free education, resources and support to cancer patients and their families. 

French Hospital Medical Center together with Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, and Marian Regional Medical Center, make up Dignity Health Central Coast, a network of hospitals, physicians, and outpatient services including physician offices, ambulatory surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories and imaging centers, and a full service home health agency. To learn more, visit dignityhealth.org/central-coast.