Teen's birthday offers joy on day of somber tribute

SANDPOINT — While so many American's mourn each year the thousands of lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, a select few celebrate the lives that entered the world that day.

Caitlin Yarber was born at 11:31 a.m. at Bonner General Hospital — now Bonner General Health — on Sept. 11, 2001. As she turns 15 years old, Caitlin said being born on a day when everyone is sad is something she has come to accept. While she plans to celebrate with a friend by watching a "Harry Potter" movie marathon, she still reminisces each year on the worst terror attack in United States history that claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people.

"It's really just like any other normal birthday, but every year I always feel really bad for the people who lost their family," Caitlin said.

This year Caitlin is spending her birthday with a friend and a Harry Potter movie marathon — from "The Sorcerer's Stone," through "The Deathly Hallows." With nearly 20 hours of movie time, it could be done in one day with little sleep. When asked if she planned to finish the marathon in time for school on Monday, she said the plan was to start the marathon on Saturday and finish it on her birthday.

Caitlin's mom, Tammy Yarber, said the family always tried to do something fun with Caitlin on birthday. When Caitlin was little, she often asked her parents why people were sad on her birthday.

"We would try to get her away from the TVs as much as possible," Yarber said. "We'd take her down to the beach and we would have a beach party every year."

Caitlin could not remember exactly when she understood the events that occurred on the day she was born. Yarber said Caitlin was around 7 or 8 years old when her father explained it to her.

On that day 15 years ago, 19 terrorists reportedly associated with al-Qaeda, an Islamic extremist group, hijacked four planes and crashed them into the two World Trade Center towers in New York City and the Pentagon near Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. The first plane hit the north tower of the World Trade Center at 8:45 a.m. and the second one 18 minutes later. Shortly after, Americans across the country tuned in on their televisions, watching in horror as news outlets replayed coverage of the explosions and destruction as the towers fell.

American's of an age to remember 9/11 often recall each year where they were when they learned of the attacks that day. For Yarber, who was in labor at BGH, it was a surreal experience. The nurse had come in to Yarber's room and said a building exploded in New York City and turned on the television.

"We watched the coverage of the first plane going into one of the towers — I thought they were watching a movie," she said.

For each life lost that day in America, at least four or more came into the world. According to news reports, 13,238 babies were born in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. As she recalls being the only patient in the maternity ward at BGH, Yarber is certain Caitlin was the only one born in Bonner County that day.