Twins born 40 minutes apart have birthdays in different years

In an unusual turn of events, a New Jersey family has had twins born on different days and in different years. At approximately 6 a.m. on the last day of 2023, Eve Humphrey's water broke, surprising her husband Billy with an early birthday present, as their twin boys were scheduled to arrive on the 26th of January. The couple's journey led them to Dr. Melissa Yurkanin and the Virtua Voorhees Hospital's delivery team.

Dr. Yurkanin playfully remarked about the possibility of the twins being born on separate days, even years, during Eve's labour. Remarkably, that's what transpired. On December 31, 2023, at 11:48 p.m., Eve welcomed the first baby, Ezra, whose numerical birthdate reads as 12/31/23 or 123123.

Billy, hoping that his other son could also share his birthday, eagerly watched as the last 12 minutes of 2023 passed. But the clock was ticking, and 2024 was fast approaching. As the team encouraged Eve to focus on her breathing and pushing, celebratory New Year's Eve countdowns echoed in the hallway.

At 28 minutes into the new year, Eve delivered Ezekiel, who arrived 40 minutes after his twin. Though twins make up approximately 3% of live births, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a twin birth on different years is extremely rare. Dr. Yurkanin admitted, "I’ve never had twins born even on two separate days, let alone two separate years," in her entire career.

Father Billy shared his anticipation of the humorous rivalry this unique birth might create amongst the twin brothers in the future. He added that if he were Ezra, he would tease his twin, saying, "I'm a year older." The birth of the twins brought additional happiness to the Humphrey family, who had celebrated their parents' wedding anniversary and Eve’s birthday in early December and their 3 year old son Hezekiah’s January 3 birthday.

Billy shared that his birthday has taken a back seat but hopes to plan father-son trips to celebrate their collective birthdays when the boys grow older. According to him, this will also allow a breather for their mother. The Humphrey twins, Ezra and Ezekiel, set a precedent at the Virtua Voorhees Hospital. However, Billy laughingly confirmed they're not planning on repeating this feat, as they are excited enough to have three healthy boys.