Jonathon Zuiderhoek arrived early Tuesday morning, just in time to become part of an unusual family history.

He is the third child (all boys) of Lee Anne and Todd Zuiderhoek of Middletown, all of whom were born on May 20.

His brother, Jacob, was born in 1998, about 31/2 weeks early. Brother Joshua was born in 2000, about three days early.

Lee Anne said they were all natural births.

Lee Anne and Todd Zuiderhoek are surrounded in their Middletown home by their three sons, Joshua, 3 (left), Jacob 5, and 3-day-old Jonathon. All three were born on May 20. (Brandi Stafford photo) | ZOOM |

"Jacob weighed 5 pounds and 9 ounces. He was due on June 14,'' she said. "Joshua weighed 8 pounds and 4 ounces and was due on May 17. I thought Jonathon was going to arrive on the 19th. I started praying that since I had two born on May 20, I didn't want the third one to be born May 19. I figured if you are this close why not the same day."

Jonathon weighed 7 pounds and 10 ounces.

They were born in three different hospitals. Jacob was born in Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington, Ky. Joshua was born at Middletown Regional Hospital and Jonathon was born at Southview Hospital in Dayton, Ohio.

"The question everyone asks me is whether the births were induced. No, they were not. It was all natural," said Lee Anne, a speech pathologist at Middletown Regional Hospital. "This could happen again, I guess. I suppose a lot depends on my cycle."

Todd Zuiderhoek, a project manager for All Cities Construction Company, is still elated and amazed.

"We are wonderfully blessed,'' he said. "We didn't plan it this way. It just happened."

Medical experts see the phenomenon as a rare occurrence.

"It is very unusual that the births occurred on the same day,'' said Dr. Mike Thomas, director of the Center for Reproductive Health at Christ, University of Cincinnati and St Luke West hospitals." We are probably talking about this happening one in every 50,000.''

Students at St. Gabriel Consolidated School raised $1,580 in the school's annual Walk-a-Thon for the Religious Studies Department at the school. The students spent 45 minutes walking through the school grounds and surrounding Glendale neighborhoods.

The event was coordinated by Marlene Henkel, director of religious education for St. Gabriel School.

Elizabeth Begay, an eighth-grader at Pleasant Run Middle School, won second place in the Jingle Press Dance at the Gathering of Nations, a Native American pow-wow, held in Albuquerque, N.M.

Elizabeth is three-quarters Navajo Indian. Since age 3, she has competed and won contests in Indiana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois, Michigan, Arizona and New Mexico. She is the daughter of Salvador and Kathy Begay, Colerain Township.

Allen Howard's "Some Good News'' column runs Sunday-Friday. If you have suggestions about outstanding achievements, or people who are uplifting to the Tristate, let him know at 768-8362, at ahoward@enquirer.com or by fax at 768-8340.