Every 4 years, due to the Earth’s rotation around the Sun, there is an extra day in that year. We call this Leap Year. Marshfield High School sophomore Kyla Guevara happens to have a birthday that falls on this extra day and has only been able to celebrate her birthday on the real day 3 times. This year will be another one of those special years. 

Throughout her 15 years of life, Guevara has only met one person with the same birthday as her. According to USAToday, February 29 is the rarest birthday out of them all with the chance of running into someone who was born on that day being a 1 in 1,461 chance. In 2020, it was recorded that in all of documented history around the world, only about 5 million people have been born on a leap year and they have gained the nickname “leaper.” So for Guevara to meet one of those people is quite a coincidence. 

As a kid, Guevara was a little confused about her birthday. Since she was mostly celebrating it on February 28 or March 1. But no matter what, Guevara’s parents made it special for her and would sometimes even tell her that unlike other kids, she had two birthdays and would let her celebrate it two days in a row.  

“It was never upsetting that I didn’t have my birthday every year because of my parents. I found my birthday more cool and unique,” said Guevara.