Advocate Health Care Welcomes 8 'Leap Day' Babies

AURORA, IL — Eight babies across the Advocate Health Care network leaped into the world on Saturday, Feb. 29. The leap year babies, or "leaplings," started coming after midnight and continued through the day.

“Leap day” is the extra day we tack onto the month of February every four years as a corrective measure to accommodate the time it takes the Earth to complete a single revolution around the sun. The leaplings born this past Saturday will celebrate their next Feb. 29 birthday in 2024.

Leap years are any year that can be evenly divided by four, such as 2016, 2020, 2024, etc. Except, if the year can be divided evenly by 100 — 2100, 2200, etc. — then it isn't. But, just to add to the confusion, if a year can be divided evenly by 400, such as 2000 or 2400, another day is tacked on, according to Math Is Fun.

The likelihood of being born on ‪‎Leap Day‬ is one in 1,461. In a world of more than 7 billion people, it is estimated that only about 5 million, or around .07 percent of the total population, can stake a claim to a February 29 birthday.

Famous people born on Feb. 29 include singer Dinah Shore (1918); rapper Ja Rule (1976); TV actor Jesse Usher (1992); motivational speaker Tony Robbins (1960); and composer Gioachino Rossini (1892).

Meet the adorable 2020 leaplings:

Baby Sophia was born to Deyse and Luis Galva, of Elgin, at Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin. She has three older siblings. This little leapling was born at 12:31 a.m. Sophia weighed 8 pounds, 13 ounces and measured 20.5 inches long.

Proud parents Maria and Jose Jimenez, of Whiting, Indiana, welcomed their fourth child, Moises Alberto, who came into the world at 5:04 a.m. at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. Moises clocked in at 10 pounds, and measured 22 inches long.

Baby Nel is the first child of Karolina and Adam Mroczko, of Chicago. This little lady leaped into the world at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. She debuted at 1:39 a.m. Nel weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces, and measured 19 inches long.

Baby Kyree is Elgin couple Alexis Hurt and Semaj Collier's first child. Kyree made his debut at 12:06 a.m. at 6 pounds, 2 ounces, and measured 14 inches.

Baby Brooks made his debut at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago at 8:27 a.m. He is the first child of Michelle and Taylor Kraemer, of Chicago. Brooks clocked in at 5 pounds, 6 ounces, and measured 18.5 inches.

Welcome to the world, kids!