100-year-old born on leap day celebrates 25th birthday

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FORT MYERS, Fla.- Dorothy Freney was born 100 years ago on Feb. 29, but she’s only truly celebrating her 25th birthday.

Freney was born on leap day, a date that only comes once every four years. Cake, balloons and many friends and family were present at the Barrington Terrace on Monday for Freney’s birthday bash.

“I don’t feel 100! To me, it’s no difference,” Freney said. “They say not everyone reaches 100, so they are making a big thing of it you know.”

“Over the years, you never know because she kept saying ‘I’ll never make it, I’ll never make it,'” said Nancy Babor, Freney’s daughter. “We were so thrilled she could enjoy it.”

Freney says having a leap year birthday has always been something special.

“If it was the 28th, I wouldn’t of been here. And the 30th isn’t here, so I guess the 29th, you can’t beat it, has to be the first,” Freney said.

“We’ve had a lot of laughs over the years, ’cause if I was late in sending her gifts, you know it didn’t get there on the 28th, I said ‘well ma, you’re not born on the 28th,'” Babor said. “So it always gave me an extra day when I didn’t overnight something.”

Freney says her secret to reaching the milestone is staying active and surrounding herself by a great community.

“I had a wonderful life, I have no complaints in my life,” Freney said. “I just go on every day, I have good friends, good family I just go on and do what I have to do.”

 

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