In a truly remarkable series of events, a set of twins managed to be born on different days, spanning two different years, all within a mere 15-minute window.
This occurrence, characterized by its extraordinary rarity, has left both parents and medical professionals astonished. Reflecting on the uniqueness of the situation, mother Fatima Madrigal shared her amazement, stating, “It’s crazy to me that they are twins and have different birthdays.”
The parents, Fatima Madrigal and Robert Trujillo, were overjoyed to welcome their twins, Alfredo and Aylín, into the world. Their son, Alfredo, entered the world at 11:45 pm on New Year’s Eve, while his sister, Aylín, made her debut as the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Day. Aylín, the first baby born at Natividad Medical Center and in Monterey County in 2022, weighed 5 pounds and 14 ounces, while her older brother, Alfredo, weighed in at 6 pounds and 1 ounce.
Although it is not unheard of for twins to be born on separate dates, the occurrence of twins entering the world in distinct years is incredibly rare. Madrigal expressed her feelings about this extraordinary twist of fate, saying, “It’s crazy to me that they are twins and have different birthdays. I was surprised and happy that she arrived at midnight.”
While approximately 120,000 sets of twins are born annually in the United States, constituting more than 3% of all births, twins with disparate birthdays, spanning two different years, remain exceedingly uncommon. The rarity of this event added a sense of excitement not only to the parents but also to the doctor responsible for delivering these New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day twins.
Dr. Ana Abril Arias, a family doctor at Natividad Medical Group and a faculty member at Natividad, recounted the thrill of this special delivery. She expressed, “This was definitely one of the most memorable deliveries of my career. It was a real pleasure to assist these little ones in safely arriving in 2021 and 2022. What a fantastic way to ring in the New Year!”
Back at their family home in Greenfield, Monterey County, twins Alfredo and Aylín will soon join their three older siblings, a mixture of two girls and a boy. Madrigal, who is already a mother of three, shared the family’s excitement in welcoming the twins and revealed that her eldest son was overflowing with joy about his upcoming role as a big brother to a baby brother in the household. The family’s anticipation for the twins’ arrival and the promise of new beginnings is palpable as they embark on this remarkable journey together.
