East Bay twins born in Berkeley celebrate different birthdays thanks to elusive Leap Day

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ByAmy Hollyfield KGO logo
Saturday, February 29, 2020
East Bay twins celebrate different birthdays thanks to elusive Leap Day
Miles was born Feb. 28 and Walter was born Feb. 29 and this year, the twins are celebrating a very special birthday with Saturday being the first Leap Day since they were born.

BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) -- A set of twins in the East Bay are celebrating a very special birthday.

One is turning 4, the other is turning 1. OK, not really.

But Miles Erickson was born on Feb. 28 and his twin Walter was born on Feb. 29, which is leap day.

This will be the first leap day since they were born.

RELATED: Saturday is Leap Day! Here's what you should know about Feb. 29

The concept is a bit confusing for the boys, but their dad is embracing it.

"Dad loves that one is one," said their mom, Summer Erickson. "He is insistent that we have a cake tomorrow that says 'Happy First Birthday'. So we said Happy Birthday to both of them today. We will say Happy Birthday to both of them tomorrow. The fact that they were born 11 minutes apart but 4 years apart I don't actually know if that has ever happened. I am sure at some point in the world it has happened but it is a miracle. It's a joyous miracle and so is their birth."

Their birth has a serious side to it.

The boys were born 14 weeks early and weighed only 2 pounds.

The medical team at Sutter's Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Berkeley saved their lives and they held a birthday party for the twins Friday morning at the hospital.

RELATED: How leap years and days work and why we have them

"I am so happy. I am just overwhelmed with joy and so grateful we can be in this place where we can fully enjoy the beauty of their different birthdays. When it happened in the hospital we were just worried about their health," Summer said.

The family plans to hold a huge party with family and friends on Saturday.