Franciscan Health Family Birth Centers in Northwest Indiana had some extra special deliveries on Thursday with the arrival of Leap Day babies.                

One Mom with a baby born this Leap Day has a special Leap Year birthday connection. Carly Dobin of DeMotte gave birth to her daughter, Molly Grace, just after midnight on this Leap Day at Franciscan Health Crown Point. Carly’s late grandfather, Martin Kinney, was also a Leap Year baby. Kinney, who passed away last February, would have been 96 today.    

Carly’s mother, Kathy O’Connor of Hebron, said her father loved his Leap Year birthday. The late Crown Point man had a law practice in Merrillville and like his great-granddaughter, made news with his birth when he was featured on the front page of the newspaper in Goshen, Ind. the day he was born.  

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he chances of being born on a Leap Day, Feb. 29, are only one in 1,461 or .068%, as Leap Year comes only once every four years. People born on Leap Day are referred to as “leaplings” or “leapers.” Worldwide, there are only about 5 million people with a Feb. 29 birthday, representing less than .1% of the population.                

Franciscan Health Family Birth Centers acknowledged the special birthdays with onesies and matching knitted frog hats for the Leap Day babies.    .

Franciscan Alliance has Family Birth Centers in its local hospitals at Franciscan Health Crown Point, Franciscan Health Dyer, Franciscan Health Michigan City and Franciscan Health Olympia Fields. More information about Franciscan’s obstetric services and locations is available online.