KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — After 84 years and 21 birthdays, Brenda Maupin has never met another person who shares her birthday. She's a "leapling," someone who was born on Feb. 29.
Maupin's birthday only comes along every four years. On Leap Day in 2024, she met two others who shared her birthday — Ray Jenkins and Willie Emmert.
Jenkins, a retired magistrate, turned 16 this year. Emmert celebrated his 15th birthday.
"I have had a lot of fun driving illegally," Emmert said. "I've been doing that for years."
Jenkins said he and his family used to celebrate when his children became older than him.
"We had big celebrations every time one of them passed that mark," Jenkins said. "And we would never look back. They're all older than I am."
Emmert, Jenkins and Maupin said they liked meeting people who shared their birthdays because it was a shared experience.
"We celebrate whenever we want to," Emmert said. "There's some years we celebrate on the 28th and the 1st."
"When you're stupid and in college, you stay up until midnight and you hit it right there between the 28th and the 1st," Jenkins said.
The trio met another leapling who was celebrating her first birthday.
"Enjoy all of your birthdays because you're special now," Maupin told her.
At Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, Kerri Brown delivered her son, Aydan Colby, on Thursday morning. Brown said she wanted her son to be born on Feb. 29.
"My brother actually passed away and his birthday was April 29th. When the opportunity came to have the baby on the same kind of day on the same kind of month, it was really important that I could do that," Brown said.
Brown induced on Feb. 29th.
"Have your baby on the 29th!" Maupin said. "That's where you get the attention."
After time spent exchanging stories and celebrating, Emmert, Jenkins and Maupin agreed to keep in touch, hoping they'll be able to celebrate again in four years.