Upon learning that her daughter-in-law was pregnant, an Arizona woman had a strong intuition that the baby would be born on her birthday. A birthday that she already shares with her 95-year-old mother.
And, she was right.
Great-grandmother Gail Loos-Ross, 60-year-old grandmother Shelley Loos Parkhurst, and baby Birdie Eve Mendoza Parkhurst were born on Sept. 12 in 1926, 1961, and 2021 respectively.
The family, who currently lives in Laveen in Phoenix, Arizona, was tickled pink by the amazing coincidence. Birdie’s mother, 21-year-old Marissa Mendoza, gave birth 12 days ahead of her due date at Banner Estrella Hospital in Glendale, after being monitored for two months prior for a blood-clotting problem. She had to get a blood transfusion because her platelets were low.
“She ended up going [to the hospital at] about 1 p.m. on Sept 11,” Shelley explained to The Epoch Times. “She was there for hours and was 4 centimeters dilated.”
After speaking to her son, Nicholas, on Sept. 12, Shelley became aware that Marissa’s condition was still the same and nothing had changed all day.
“They broke her water,” Shelley said. “I asked my son how she was doing; the next picture I got was the baby!”
Shelley claims she had known she would share a birthday with her granddaughter since learning her due date was in September. “The first thing I said is, ‘She’s going to be born on my birthday,’” she recalled.
Nicholas was incredulous, but his mother insisted that she was right.
It seems that strong intuitions run in the family; six decades ago, Gail knew that she would share her birthday with Shelley.
“She just had a feeling that day,” Shelley said.
“She said she was canning vegetables and my sister, who’s nine years older than me, came home from school,” she added, referring to the day her mother’s contractions began, on Sept. 11.
The whole evening went by and the next morning, Gail was taken to the hospital and Shelley was born.
Her birth certificate doesn’t include a time or date, but Gail insists her daughter was born at the change of shift on Sept. 12. “That’s between 6.30 and 7 a.m.,” Shelley explained, “because she was a nurse at the hospital where I was born.”
Now years later, great-grandmother Gail is delighted to learn that a third family member is also born on the same day.
“She didn’t know until the next morning when she got up,” Shelley regaled. “I said, ‘Mom, guess what? [Birdie] was born on our birthday!’ She clapped her hands, she’s so happy.”
The family has been enjoying their time with baby Birdie since she came home, as the hospital prohibited them from visiting Birdie, Marissa, and Nicholas due to Covid-19 restrictions. Shelley marvels at how beautiful Birdie is and how she looks like her mother, Marissa, and she’s already dreaming up ways to celebrate the triple birthday in the future.
Born at 5 pounds 13 ounces (2.6 kg), Birdie is growing fast. “She’s got a lot of love,” said Shelley. Yet, as milestones come and go, the miracle of Birdie’s birth date doesn’t lose its sparkle.
According to Shelley, people have reacted excitedly after hearing the special birthday coincidence. Those who haven’t been in touch with Shelley for years also contacted her.
“People will say, ‘Oh, I saw that on the news, that’s so cool,’” Shelley shared. “It makes your heart really warm that people really care, because it is a unique thing.
“It doesn’t happen often ... it’s a baby’s miracle.”
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