LACEY – A set of triplets from Forked River recently celebrated a milestone birthday, their seventh. The only catch? They’re actually 28 years old.
Sarah, Molly, and Erica Newman, born February 29, 1996, proudly belong to an exclusive club known as “leaplings.” Their actual birthdate has only appeared on the calendar in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020 – and now in 2024.
That’s not to say that the three identical young women bypassed birthday celebrations in non-leap years. Their mother, Susan devised a plan that ensured her daughters always felt special.
“My mom always penciled in on March 1 on the February calendar,” shared Molly. “We would still see the 28th and she would write in the 29th. And, then we flipped the calendar when it became March for March 2.”
“When we were little, she didn’t want to go through the whole work of explaining to us, because it’s so complicated,” Molly added. “So, she always just kind of slid it in there, and we never knew anything different than we did have a day to ourselves.”
For years, the Newman triplets’ annual birthday celebrations have been filled with cherished family moments, sometimes featuring dining out or enjoying Susan’s delicious homecooked meals. One steadfast custom has endured since their very first birthday: Susan’s loving tradition of baking individual cakes for each of her beloved triplets.
“We get to choose what flavors and we usually would all pick different flavors,” said Sarah. “When family came over for our birthday parties, they would then get to choose from three different kinds of cake.”
This year’s festivities took an exciting turn. Molly, currently residing in Massachusetts, joined her siblings to celebrate their actual birthdate on the calendar. Adding a touch of glamour, the family hopped into a limousine bound for New York City, where they made a special appearance on “Good Day New York.” After the spotlight in the Big Apple, they hurried back to New Jersey for a News 12 taping.
Erica opened up about the challenges of having a birthday that shows up only once every four years on the calendar. Although the temptation to joke about being just seven years old arises, the sisters typically maintain honesty about their actual age. There are also critical considerations when it comes to legal issues.
“When we turned 21, we wanted to be considered 21,” Erica said. “We couldn’t legally drink until after midnight when it was really March 1.”
The February 29 birthdate causes its share of frustration when it comes to filling in online forms that request dates.
“We found out that as long you put in the year before you put in your birthday, explained Molly, “the 29th will show up in February. Otherwise, it doesn’t.”
The Social Security Administration reports that 362,900 Americans have a February 29 birthday. However, the chance of being part of a set of triplets born on Leap Day is exceedingly rare. The Newman sisters humorously suggest that calculating such odds may require an advanced degree in mathematics.
“It’s one in 87.6 million births,” Sarah explained. “And that’s a very conservative estimate, given the rarity of identical triplets and the significance of being born on Leap Day.”
As babies, Susan said that she was able to tell her identical triplets apart in a couple of ways. Each of the girls had angiomas or little birthmarks in different spots of their bodies.
“God marked them for us, so we didn’t get them mixed up,” said Susan. “I could also tell by their cries.”
Now adults, the sisters share distinct characteristics and a connection to one another. Sarah is the oldest by just two minutes and seems to dote on her younger siblings. She and Erica both work as massage therapists at Hand and Stone in Forked River.
Molly completed both an associate and bachelor’s degree in American Sign Language. She’s currently employed as a data analyst in the biomedical industry.
As their lives unfold, the Newman triplets continue to embrace both their individuality and their shared experiences. Each sister is engaged to a fiancé whose name starts with the letter “J,” highlighting the intriguing blend of commonality and uniqueness in their lives. While the notion of a joint wedding was suggested by their parents, Sarah and Jay, Erica and Jim, and Molly and Jeff have all opted for separate celebrations, cherishing the idea of their own special day to exchange vows.
Through the years, the triplets have shared moments of joy and sorrow. Their older brother, Evan, battled stage four neuroblastoma from the age of six until his passing at 12 in February 2005, just weeks before his sisters’ ninth birthday.
“He would always keep an eye out for us,” shared Sarah. “We would always want to hang out with him and follow him like little ducklings.”
At the age of 19, the sisters honored Evan’s memory by getting matching tattoos. Inspired by their brother’s affinity for the wind, each tattoo contains one of the remaining elements of fire, earth, and water to add to their brother’s wind. The designs also include Roman numerals assigned to the triplets in order of their birth. In this tangible tribute, the Newman triplets carry forward the spirit of their beloved brother as they navigate life’s journey together.
