In an astonishing sequence of events, a pair of twins has managed to come into the world on different days, spanning across two different years, all within an astonishing 15-minute window.
This occurrence, marked by its remarkable rarity, has left both parents and medical professionals in a state of awe. Reflecting on the uniqueness of the situation, mother Fatima Madrigal expressed her disbelief, stating, “It’s truly incredible that they are twins but have separate birthdates.”
Ecstatic parents, Fatima Madrigal and Robert Trujillo, were filled with joy as they welcomed their twins, Alfredo and Aylín, into their lives. Their son, Alfredo, was born at 11:45 pm on New Year’s Eve, while his sister, Aylín, made her entrance as the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Day. Aylín, the first baby to be born at Natividad Medical Center and in Monterey County in 2022, weighed 5 pounds and 14 ounces, while her older brother, Alfredo, tipped the scales at 6 pounds and 1 ounce.
While it is not unprecedented for twins to be born on different dates, the occurrence of twins arriving in different years is incredibly rare. Madrigal shared her thoughts about this extraordinary twist of fate, saying, “It’s mind-boggling that they are twins and yet have different birthdays. I was surprised and thrilled that she arrived right at midnight.”
Though around 120,000 sets of twins are born annually in the United States, constituting more than 3% of all births, twins born with different birthdates spanning across two years remain exceptionally uncommon. The exceptional nature of this event has added an extra layer of excitement not only for the parents but also for the doctor who played a role in delivering these New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day twins.
Dr. Ana Abril Arias, a family physician at Natividad Medical Group and a member of the Natividad faculty, recounted the thrill of this special delivery. She shared, “This was without a doubt one of the most unforgettable deliveries of my career. It was a true privilege to help these little ones safely make their debut in both 2021 and 2022. What an incredible way to welcome the New Year!”
Back at their family home in Greenfield, Monterey County, twins Alfredo and Aylín will soon be joining their three older siblings, a mix of two girls and a boy. Madrigal, already a mother of three, conveyed the family’s excitement in embracing the twins and revealed that her eldest son was brimming with happiness about his upcoming role as an elder brother to a baby brother. The family’s anticipation for the twins’ arrival and the promise of fresh beginnings is palpable as they set out on this extraordinary journey together.
