Madelyn (Submitted)

You'd think that being born on 7/7/77 would make Fran Askey lucky.

If good luck means winning the Powerball lottery when she bought a ticket on 7/7/07, you'd be wrong.

If good luck means giving birth to a little girl who will turn 8 today, 8/8/08, you'd be right.

Fran Askey didn't even realize how the numbers lined up until Madelyn came home from school one day and informed her that her eighth birthday would be special for the date it falls on.

"I was looking on the calendar, and I noticed it," Madelyn said. "I think it's pretty cool."

In addition to turning 8 on the eighth day of the eighth month of 2008, Madelyn has eight pets: Two cats, three turtles and three goldfish.

But eight isn't her lucky number -- or even her favorite. She said, "I always like 17 for some reason."

The Askeys celebrated Madelyn's eighth birthday with a small party for family and friends Thursday evening, followed by a sleepover with a friend. Fran planned to take off work today so they could spend the day together.

"We have a party for her every year, but this year, she wants a Nintendo DS and everything that goes with it, so we kind of pared (the party) down," she said.

When Jody Groscost-Arnold got pregnant with her daughter Jacquelyne, it was a surprise. Doctors advised aborting the fetus because giving birth could put her own life in jeopardy.

"I lost 60-some pounds when I was pregnant with her," she said. "When I gave birth, they thought I was having a heart attack, but it was my gall bladder."

Jacquelyne also turns 8 today, but she celebrated the milestone last weekend with a "High School Musical"-themed party at Green Valley Pool in West Manchester Township. On the last day of July, she got about 20 inches of her hair cut and donated it to Locks of Love.

Jody said her daughter picks fruit, gives massages to family members and does chores to earn money, which she then saves for

Jacquelyne (Submitted)

Last Christmas, Jacquelyne used her money to buy a gift for someone whose name she plucked from an angel tree. Now, she's putting her birthday money together for a Nintendo DS.

Even though the majority of her celebration is over, Jacquelyne said she still planned to go to Chuck E. Cheese's today, "for my real birthday."

771-2034; jvogelsong@ydr.com.

LUCKY LADIES

Madelyn

Residence: Hellam
Township

Family: Parents Fran and Philip Askey; brother Blake Askey, 6.

School: She will be in third grade at Eastern School District's Kreutz Creek Valley Elementary School

Hobbies/interests: Swimming, reading, coloring and playing with her pets

Jacquelyne

Residence: Warrington Township

Family: Parents Jody Groscost-Arnold and Douglas Arnold

School: She will be in third grade at Northern School District's Wellsville Elementary

Hobbies/interests: Going to Chuck E. Cheese's and for walks in the park with her family