Not Just One National Day Baby. Make It Two.

Three years ago, this couple welcomed the birth of their first daughter at midnight on National Day. Little did they expect the same to happen for the arrival of their second child at midnight on August 9, 2024, making this their second National Day baby.

With two weeks until the expected delivery date of their second child, Liu Yongfeng, 38, a sales assistant manager, and Zhang Huixian, 36, a senior executive director were preparing for their firstborn’s third birthday.

However, Zhang experienced spotting on the afternoon of August 8, prompting her to make her way to Thomson Medical Centre. After about eight hours of labour, Zhang gave birth to a baby boy weighing 2.8kg at midnight (00:00) on August 9.  

While the couple planned for a second pregnancy, they did not expect both their children to have the same birthday – let alone the same birth time.

Liu said: “We are so surprised that both our children have the same birthday. It really is a miracle! Being able to celebrate their birthdays on National Day which also coincides with a public holiday is truly a privilege. I hope we will also be lucky enough to get tickets for the National Day parade every year.”

The couple ended their joyous day by watching the live broadcast of the annual National Day parade. They plan to celebrate their eldest daughter’s birthday after getting discharged from the hospital. 

Zhang shared that while she has not chosen a Chinese name for her son, his English name is Ayden. The name Ayden is of Irish origin, and means “fire”. She hopes that both her children will grow up healthily and happily, and continue celebrating their birthdays alongside Singapore.

Congrats to this family of National Day babies!

A version of this article was first published on Lianhe Zaobao.