'Absolutely mind-blowing': Newlyweds discover surprising connection
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MAPLE VALLEY, Wash. -- Just before they tied the knot, John Day and Stephanie Oberlander discovered something startling about their past.
"It was absolutely mind-blowing," said the bride's mother, Melanie Oberlander.
The couple just returned from their honeymoon on Thursday night, but their story began years ago.
Stephanie was born in May of 1987 and grew up in Federal Way. She was a gregarious little girl who joined the debate team and volunteered.
At the same time, a quiet kid named John lived on a Bothell farm.
Stephanie and John crossed paths during freshman year of college at Central Washington University. The two hit it off.
But they didn't realize how connected they really were until Stephanie started pulling childhood photos from her baby book for their wedding. That's when she saw the birth announcement.
"I dropped the book -- I was shocked. I screamed or shrieked," she said. "His parents' names were listed just two names above my mom's name."
In that same hospital, in the same maternity ward, Stephanie and John were born only 12 hours apart.
"It felt like somebody planned it an arranged marriage of sorts," said John.
John was born at 6:30 p.m., Stephanie at 6:30 the next morning.
"They were just made for each other, and this just sealed the deal for us," Melanie said.
Call it fate or call it fate, but now you can call them Mr. and Mrs. Day.
"It was absolutely mind-blowing," said the bride's mother, Melanie Oberlander.
The couple just returned from their honeymoon on Thursday night, but their story began years ago.
Stephanie was born in May of 1987 and grew up in Federal Way. She was a gregarious little girl who joined the debate team and volunteered.
At the same time, a quiet kid named John lived on a Bothell farm.
Stephanie and John crossed paths during freshman year of college at Central Washington University. The two hit it off.
But they didn't realize how connected they really were until Stephanie started pulling childhood photos from her baby book for their wedding. That's when she saw the birth announcement.
"I dropped the book -- I was shocked. I screamed or shrieked," she said. "His parents' names were listed just two names above my mom's name."
In that same hospital, in the same maternity ward, Stephanie and John were born only 12 hours apart.
"It felt like somebody planned it an arranged marriage of sorts," said John.
John was born at 6:30 p.m., Stephanie at 6:30 the next morning.
"They were just made for each other, and this just sealed the deal for us," Melanie said.
Call it fate or call it fate, but now you can call them Mr. and Mrs. Day.
I thought they were borther and sister at first.
Awesome!
"His parents' names were listed just two names above my mom's name."
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Wait, what? Doesn't that make them related?
How fun! Cute story!
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To the newlyweds: I wish you a long and happy marriage!
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Everyone negative  - SHUT UP! (and get a life)
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Man, so many negative people out there. I think we should get off the Title and focus on the actual story. The title isn't the point. It was just meant to grab you so you would ready the story. There is so much nasty bad new out there, it was nice to read something posative for a change. I enjoyed reading it but then again I'm a sap for love stories :-) Congrats to the happy two. I wish you all the best.
Methinks the mother has a knack for being overly dramatic. Or, she's had a really great and easy life if this is "absolutely mind blowing" to her. I congratulate her on having such an easy life!
 @jellyfish What does their type of life have anything to do with whether or not it's mind blowing?
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A few people here don't seem to understand the odds of two people being born 12 hours apart , grew up in separate cities and later meet and marry are. They're probably the same ones that think winning the lottery is easy.
I clicked this thinking that these people were going to be long lost siblings. Glad they are not....
I thought the same thing. Glad they are not related. But on the other hand 12 hours apart in the same hospital. No big deal, it is a small town.
Amazing photo.
Super cool, however did they not ever ask each other where each other were born????
Happy Dance!
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Great story, great pic. All the best!
My parents were born in the same hospital and were in the same maternity ward. They were 5 days apart. This does and can happen. Congrats on the marriage John and Stephanie.
Published:Â Oct 11, 2014 at 5:25 PM PDT - Oops! Â I guess things aren't working out so well. Â Disregard that story we posted 2 years ago. Â Thanks!
@AdAckbar Two years? Thats more than most marraiges make it these days!
Very cool. And very refreshing compared to so many things in the news. Congrats John and Stephanie, may you have a wonderful life together:)
What I find Mind Blowing is they were both born in '87 when I was already 30. It doesn't seem possible people born seemingly the day before yesterday are already getting married. Gawd I feel old! Congrats on your discovery.
 @joefuss I never complain about growing old, as it by far exceeds the alternative!
 @joefuss yes yesterday seems like yesterday until you realize yesterday was twenty plus years ago.
 @joefuss Join the club Joe. last weekend I asked a familiar looking man if he worked at a company I was at many years ago. His reply: "That's my dad." Ouch.Anyway, congrats to Stephanie and John - a match made in heaven!
Uhmmm I guess its a cool story to tell friends / family... but on the NEWS!!! I can find a lot of more interesting topics to broadcast than 2 people getting married that figured out they were born at the same hospital. OMG somebody contact CNN!!!
>yawn<"Absolutely mind blowing" qualifies only if you have a head full of air. Now if the two had been saving themselves for marriage and the groom lifted the dress on the wedding night to find a Crying Game scene, then that would be mind (as well as possibly other things) blowing. Time to raise your standards on being impressed here, people. Oh, and happy new series of tax deductions to the couple.
I'm surprised they didn't already know this. Â I feel like the conversation of "what hospital were you born at" has come up with just about every girl I have dated that was born around here.
Mind Blowing? Are you kidding me KOMO? Slow news day to use that kind of heading. Unique discovery yes, but mind blowing? Come on! My daughter and her best frined were both born on the same day in the same hospital. So there KOMO! They dont consider it MIND BLOWING. Just a fact they can both cherish for the rest of their lives. A big rasberry to KOMO over the heading used. And BTW what creature did that giant eyeball come off of anyway? Now that could be mind blowing. Dig into that story KOMO, and you might have a real story.
Call them Mr. and Mrs. SAME Day.
Beauty couple with a beautiful story! May you share a long and rich life together.
A wonderful story and a very beautiful couple. Best wishes to you both.
Love to hear these types of stories. My wife and I have a very similar one. Our families have known each other since we were born. She rode my pony when we were just 3-4 years old. Both families moved and we did not know each other till high school. We went our separate ways for a few years and then dated. Sometimes you just cannot run from you other half.
This is very happy hews. From the headline, I was dreading the news that they were somehow illegally related. Whew! All the best to you both. Have a very happy life.
Love the comments - all of them! We were aware of our similiar birthdays - I made him show me his driver's license when I found out! But the details about the hospital and times only came out when we were comparing baby pictures during the wedding planning, so it was quite the shock. Regardless of our birthdays, however, our relationship is based on who we are today and who we'd like to help each other become for the future - the rest is just a fun story for our future grand-kids (and apparently - the internet!)  - Stephanie Day
Love you Steph!! Screw these haters. You and John are amazing and I absolutely loved this!! xoxo
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-Dani Dideon
I'm glad they printed this story, it just has an upbeat feel about it unlike most of the news anymore. Congratulations, you two are a very nice looking couple.Â
 @Stephanie_Day Well, ummm, just ask more questions next time young lady!
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Also, that look in his eye that he has for you? Pure gold. You're a lucky girl.
Congrats! you two.
The woman I married was born exactly one month later than I; June 17 and July 17. Both of our parents had been members of the same church when each of us had been born but neither set of parents knew the other. After we were married my mother found an old church newsletter that had my picture in it as one of several children. Lo and behold, there was my future wife as well.
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Top that one!
I was born in Boston, my husband was born in Oakland.....2 hours apart. We met on the first day of school in the 9th grade. In Seattle. On Sept. 15th of this year, we had our 42nd anniversary.
Yes, I think that they will have a long and happy marriage!
 @Furd We can't top it. You win. Where would you like your prize delivered?
Why do you read posts like this if they irritate you so badly. It's real easy to avoid them.
This post wasn't meant for you. I'm not sure how it even got where it's at.
 @Jatok Who is irritated?
 @Jill Not looking for any prize, please make a donation to your favorite charity.
What if they were switched at birth?
Now THAT would have been "mind blowing"!!
Wow, I love reading happy stories like this. I wish them a long and happy marriage.
AWESOME story !!
What a sweet, fun story! Oh, and by the way, BrodyRody, google the "legend of the two wolves". Short and easy, and I think it would be a good read for you.
Wow truly meant for each other. Nice to see happiness in the news. Good luck to the newly married couple, I wish you many years of happiness together.Â
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This is NOT " Absolutely Mind-Blowing " This is nothing more than coincidental, The planets aligned at the right moment if you will but to say this is " Absolutely Mind-Blowing " is just ridiculous!!!
 @BrodyRodyPartDeux Human perception makes everything look different to different people. Walk down a street, you look at a flower and shrug your shoulders but to someone else they revel in the scent and blossom of that same flower. Because this young bride considers something like this "absolutely mind-blowing" in her life and you treat it as trivial wont impact how she feels of the situation.
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@BrodyRodyPartDeux - Both of their families consider them to be very mind-blowing. There is more to their story.....obviously you have never had something truly spectacular happen in your life that started the day you were born,.
 @AC_Seattle Actually I have but Im not going to divulge as tactics such as your's are rendered moot by the fact that you'd rather attack me and not recognize the validity behind my comment that was directed @ KOMO and NOT the couple, It amazes me how many of the people who post here are delusional and brain dead.
 @BrodyRodyPartDeux  @AC_Seattle How can I get thru life without being delusional and brain dead.....duhhhhhh
 @BrodyRodyPartDeux  @AC_Seattle You're sounding a little paranoid man. There's great joy to be had in watching people jump to conclusions! All that jumping!
 @BrodyRodyPartDeux Oh lighten up! Can't you just be happy for them? Or better yet, just don't comment? It was the Bride's mother who said that. What a bummer that she didn't just say..."No big deal, just a coincident."
 @pixie64 What's a " coincident "???
 @BrodyRodyPartDeux  @pixie64 It's closely related to the coinkidink, which I'm pretty sure is Latin.
What a way to try to bring a cool thing down! Fortunately these 2 won't be with this very comment!
 @Ozmatic66 My comment was as a slam to Komo for their choice of words to describe a situation that is nothing more than coincidental, it was not meant to detract from the couple in anyway, so to say my comment was poised to bring down the couple is just plain STUPID!!!
 @Jill  @Ozmatic66  @BrodyRodyPartDeux I don't remember a single time in my life when someone asked me what hospital I was born in. I don't remember ever asking someone else that question, either. Perfectly plausible surprise, I think.Â
To the happy couple, may you have many more delightful "Twilight Zone" moments in your life. 8-)
 @BrodyRodyPartDeux This is how the story probably came about: Editor reads a copy, wants a sensational title to get people to read it online. They point to the bride's exclamation of 'mind-blowing' and says to use it in the title. Its a business decision, not stupidity, that KOMO used this title because the public (like you) are taking the time to comment on it.
@Jill @Ozmatic66 @BrodyRodyPartDeux they new that, but the story is them both being born in the SAME HOSPITAL and were most LIKELY in the nursery at the same time. They knew their birthdays like who would think that wasn't asked?
 @Ozmatic66  @Jill  @BrodyRodyPartDeux OK, I'm trying to believe that, really. And they're an adorable couple. But how do you get to the point where you're getting ready to get married before you ask the other person where they were born? Did they at least know they shared a birthday?
@Jill @BrodyRodyPartDeux I know them personally and it was just as reported!
 @Jill  @BrodyRodyPartDeux  @Ozmatic66 The part that was mind blowing was the fact they had been in the same hospital at the same time 18 years before meeting and that they were listed on the same birth announcement from the paper
 @BrodyRodyPartDeux  @Ozmatic66 To be fair, they were just quoting the mother (who I'm sure wasn't coached in any way *cough).
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Mind-blowing is a bit much. I expected them to find out they were related.
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Also, how do you not ask the following question whilst dating the man of your dreams, "Honey, when's your birthday?" "Same day as yours, wow!" "Which city?" etc. This seems so unlikely, it's making me think they just wanted the PR. But that's a mean thought. I take it back (until proven right).
@BrodyRodyPartDeux @Ozmatic66 You are not alone - I thought they were going to long lost brother and sister or something MIND BLOWING lol. Being born at the same hospital is not that big of a deal....
 @oledawg  @BrodyRodyPartDeux  @Ozmatic66 I was expecting something like "OMG, your my grandfather's illagitimate son's son"
 @BrodyRodyPartDeux  @Ozmatic66 I had a similar reaction, expecting something bigger my initial reaction to this was, 'that's it?'