COLORADO SPRINGS — A Colorado Springs man is celebrating a rare birthday Thursday.
Brendan Byrnes, a Division 1 diver for the University of Wyoming, is turning 21-years-old January 21, 2021, which is considered a "platinum birthday." That when your age matches your entire birthday.
"I think he was about three when my husband figured it out. It was so funny when we discovered it, and we were like we have to go to Las Vegas for sure and play 21," said Jane Byrnes, Brendan's mother.
In 2012, her husband died but she wanted to continue with the plan to celebrate Brendan's birthday in Las Vegas.
"We always planned on going though, we still have to go and carry it through. Even when the pandemic started, we were still going to do it until things kept getting worse," said Jane. "He's a diver on the swim team and then it was the timing and if he'll be able to go. So it turns out, we're not able to go to Vegas right now, but we will once things get better."
She says platinum birthdays only happen twelve times in a century. With the pandemic still continuing, Brendan says he won't be able to do too much or go home to see family and friends.
"Tomorrow my mom plans to come up to Laramie and rent out a house so I'll be able to spend some time with family and friends," said Brendan. "It's a bit of disappointment because there's been so much build-up to this day. I was planning on doing all of these things and now I can't do any of the things I originally planned for."
Regardless of not being able to go to Las Vegas, he says his birthday is still going to be fun spending some time with family and friends.
"Going to Vegas would have been awesome because you can go play 21 on your 21st birthday on 1, 21, 21. It would have been awesome, you can't get any luckier than that," said Brendan.
Despite the change of plans, Brendan says he's staying positive.
