Family members share January 22 birthdate for a combined 200 years
By WBBM Staff
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CHICAGO (WBBM) — What are the odds that one family has four members who share the exact same birthday?
That’s the reality for a northwest suburban Grayslake family and on Saturday January 22nd, all four will collectively celebrate a combined 200 years.
It’s a story that begins with two sisters. Older sister Mary Beth Groholski and younger sister Janice Parro, born five years apart on the same day, January 22nd.
“You know, when Janice was born on my fifth birthday, probably wasn’t a blessing to me that day,” said Mary Beth Groholski.
And yet somehow, years later, little sister Janice met a guy named Tom Parro.
“We were sitting actually receiving at a bar and talking and getting to know each other, and she threw out her birth date I threw out mine and I’m like, well that’s really weird,” said Tom Parro.
Because he was also born on, you guessed it, January 22nd. And when Janice told him her sister had the same birthday, Tom simply said.
“Interesting. We’ll work with that.”
And that’s exactly what they’ve all done, even when Matthew, Janice and Tom’s son came along — on January 22nd.
“The focus has really been, you know as Matthew grew up,” said “It was really his birthday, you know. It was our birthdays.”
This year Matthew and Tom will both hit big birthday milestones. Matthew turning 21 and Tom will turn 60. The benefits of sharing the same birthday have not changed.
“It means my husband won’t forget my birthday,” said Janice Parro.
“It’s kind of special, no one will forget our birthdays. We’re connected at the heart,” added Mary Beth Groholski.
That includes even when they can’t be together. The family had a big bicentennial birthday party planned for Saturday, with more than 70 people invited.
But because of COVID and to make sure everyone is safe, they are pushing that big party back to May 7th.
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