February 29: 'Leaplings' finally get to celebrate their birthdays

Thursday 29 February 2024 is a day of true celebration for three "leaplings" from Yorkshire.

After all, it is the day they are able to properly celebrate their "real" birthdays for the first time in four years.

Being born on 29 February means they rarely see their birthday marked on the calendar.

However, it grants them membership of what must feel like a very special club.

Although there are a few downsides to being born on the last day of February in a leap year, Emily Foy, Kathryn Haywood and Michael Davis agree it is "exciting" to have such a unique birth date.

For Emily, from Wakefield, who turns 12 years old - or, technically, three years old - on Thursday, her leap year birthday was chosen by her parents.

She was conceived through IVF and when she was deemed to be in breach position during her mum's pregnancy, parents Caroline and Steve were able to pick the date she was to be delivered via caesarean section.

"We wanted to pick a day as special as she was to all of us," Steve said.

Initially, Emily was confused as to why her birthday did not take place every year, like her classmates' birthdays, but she said she had since learned to love being a leapling.

Caroline said: "The hardest thing when she was young was her coming home from school and not being able to find her birthday on the calendar.

"That used to make her upset, so we had to explain to her why her birthday wasn't on the calendar for that particular year."

However, Emily said she preferred her birthday to any other because she would get "a bit more attention" when it came around.

"When I tell people my birthday is on 29 February, people always say 'wow' and try to work out how old I am," she said.

"They all find it really cool and exciting and are really nice to me on my birthday."

Emily has joined social media groups with other leaplings and said it was "nice to be part of a global community".

Kathryn Haywood, from Ossett, turned 56, or 14, on Thursday and said her real birthday coming around again "always felt so special".

"It's something different but exciting," she said.

"I usually celebrate on 28 February on non-leap years, but it's strange. It almost feels like a fake birthday because 28 February is too early, but by the next day, it's gone."

Kathryn was almost not a leap year baby, as she was born just a few minutes before midnight.

"My mum worked extra hard to get me out with a few minutes to spare," she laughed.

Despite her positive attitude towards her birthday, Kathryn admitted there were a few downsides, one of which was missing out on birthday email offers.

"I've received everything from free doughnuts to clothes vouchers this year and I assume this is what other people get every year," she said.

However, one particular instance really stuck in Kathryn's head.

"My friend had been diagnosed with breast cancer and my doctor said I would be invited for a breast screening when I turned 50," she said.

"My birthday came and went but I didn't receive an invite. I rang up, waited for a few months and rang up again and it turns out it didn't come up on the system because I hadn't had a birthday.

"I would have had to wait until I was 52 if I didn't ring up for something that could have been life-saving."

Michael Davis, from Scarborough, turned 44 on Thursday, but celebrated what was technically only his 11th birthday.

He said he had always found his birthday a little novel and enjoyed wearing badges with his "real age" on.

"You get to walk around as a 40-year-old bloke with a big number 10 badge. It does get some interesting looks," he said.

In Michael's line of work, being a leapling also usually earned him a chuckle from people, he said.

"I am a receptionist in a casino, where you've obviously got to be 18 to go in.

"I'm technically not old enough to work there yet, but I've been there 18 years," he said.

Michael said this year he would be celebrating with family, which included his daughter who would be turning 22 on 5 March - exactly double his own "real" age.

"I have three children and they're all older than me now," he said.

"It's quite entertaining being the youngest in your family as a parent."

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