You could say she’s 1 in 1,461 — the odds of being born on Leap Day.
Nyla Allen, at 7 lbs. 5 oz., was one of seven babies to be born at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital on Feb. 29, also known as Leap Day, as of early afternoon Saturday.
“She’s perfectly healthy, a perfect little baby girl,” said her mother, Toyaii Rutherford, 25, of Penn Hills.
Nyla was due on Leap Day, but Rutherford said she was hoping her daughter would arrive a little early to avoid the quadrennial date.
No such luck: Nyla was born around 1 a.m.
“We decided that if we did have her on the 29th, every year we would celebrate her birthday on the 28th,” Rutherford said. “And each year that fell as a Leap Year, we would also celebrate on the 29th. So that year she would just have two birthdays.”
This is Rutherford’s second child. Her son, a “rambunctious” 2-year-old, was born Nov. 1 — just missing his due date, Halloween.
Nyla is the first baby girl to be born in the family for some time, so the entire family is excited to welcome her, Rutherford said.
A total of 10 babies were born at hospitals within the Allegheny Health Network health system.
Excela Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg welcomed two Leap Day babies Saturday night, a set of fraternal twins.
