Adults Born On Leap Day Celebrate Rare Birthday

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Last week KDKA Radio news reporter James Garrity spent two days in a box near Market Square, to raise money for the homeless. He had the enthusiasm of a six-year-year old, which shouldn't be surprising, since his birthday comes around every four years.

The same may be said of a penguin named Kaden, born on Leap Day at the National Aviary in 2012. Which makes him one or four, depending on how you look at it.

"I always get several cards that are ten-year-old cards, or whatever my birthday is," says ten leap-year-old Heather Sendera of Squirrel Hill. Heather is another Leap Day baby. She says she survived the pitfalls of primary school.

"My elementary school used to announce everyone's birthdays in the morning. And no matter when, my birthday was never on there."

She says her husband gave her a skating party when she turned "six."

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"I got this card today from my older brother," says Shirley Lutz of Finleyville.

She is 16 leap-years old.

"When we first got married," she recalls, "my husband every four years held a big birthday party for me, and we had a big crowd here at the house."

The extra day each leap year is necessary because the earth circles the sun every 365 and a quarter days. Odds against a leap day birth is nearly 1500 to one, and leads to some strange scenarios.

"When I turned eight, my daughter turned eight," Shirley Lutz recalls.

For the next four years, she will celebrate being "sweet sixteen,"