A US father born on February 29 has just welcomed a baby girl on the same date – defying reported odds of 2.1 million to one.
Camila Peñaloza was due on March 3, according to local reports, but arrived three days early making her a leap year baby.
In a staggering twist of fate her father, Ivan Rebollar Cortez Peñaloza, 32, was celebrating his eighth leap year birthday on the same day.
"I prayed to God for my little baby girl and now we are going to share this amazing bond for the rest of our lives,” Mr Peñaloza said in a statement following the surprise delivery.
“I am just so happy!"
Camila’s mother Jennifer Rebollar Cortez added: "We feel so blessed to have our little Camila here and so incredibly shocked at the coincidence that she now shares her leap day birthday with her dad."
Staff at the Mercy San Juan Medical Center in California, where the new “leaper” was born, marked the special occasion with cake, balloons and a rendition of "Happy Birthday" for both dad and daughter.
They also presented her with an adorable "leap frog" outfit in which she was pictured in the arms of her beaming father.
The hospital’s president Michael Korpiel issued a statement detailing their delight at the arrival, saying: “We feel incredibly fortunate to share in this special, life-changing moment with this family.
“Our heartfelt congratulations and we wish them a lifetime of love and happiness with their new bundle of joy.”
