Fife Leap Year teen set to celebrate first birthday in four years with sweet 16th

It is thought that Alana Henderson from Markinch, who will turn 16 on February 29, was the first leapling baby of 2008 when she was born at 12.07am on 29 February.

Auchmuty High School pupil Alana was due on March 15, but was instead born more than two weeks early at Forth Park Hospital in Kirkcaldy.

This year will be her first opportunity to celebrate her birthday since 2020, her 12th birthday. Her mum, Debbie Henderson, said that this year will be an opportunity to make an even bigger fuss.

Debbie said: “She's looking forward to having an actual birthday this year. We normally celebrate on the 28th, so that's her unofficial birthday. On her real birthday we're going to make a bit of a bigger deal. We're just going to go for a family meal to an Indian restaurant, and then she just wants to go with her best friends for a shopping trip to Edinburgh and then have a sleepover with them.”

With her date of birth being such a rare occurrence, Alana has only ever met one other person who shares it.

Debbie said: “She has met just one other person with that date. She does Highland dance and was at a competition a few years ago and the girl that she was dancing with also had a February 29 birthday.. I think that's the only other person she has met with a unique birthday like that.”

The rare date has on occasion thrown up some issues. Including being unable to use the real one on social media, but school cut off points also meant that Debbie thought she would have to make a decision about when she started primary school.

Debbie explained: “I thought she would be starting school a year earlier because the cut off is the end of February, so she was going to be one of the older ones but she was quite happy with you. I'm a teacher so I was quite happy that she was an older one but I thought I would have to make that decision whether she went to school early or not.”