FOLEY, Ala. (WKRG) — Some may call Mary Jo Conley, Merriam Weiss and Melinda Early a medical miracle.

“We were all underweight and they had one incubator so they swapped us around,” said Mary Jo as she and her sisters toured the Holmes Medical Museum in downtown Foley. “I haven’t been back here since I was a child,” says Merriam.

It is where they were born. Almost as soon as they walked in the door the memories came flooding back. Back in 1948, their mother thought she might be having twins, but Dr. W.C. Holmes didn’t think so.

“He said no, it’s just going to be another big boy because they didn’t have a sonogram or anything like that when we were born,” says Melinda.

They were six weeks early and a surprise. Almost immediately the Early triplets were famous. “People would stop by the side of the road if we were out in the yard taking pictures of us,” says Melinda.

“It was a big deal because they had never had any triplets in the county before that they had recorded,” added Mary Jo.

Over the years they have all led separate lives but not too separate. What they say about twins apparently is true with triplets too.

“One year we gave each other the same birthday present and we were all living in different areas,” says Melinda. “We’ve given each other the same birthday card several times.”

They have had shared dreams, phone calls when one feels the other is in danger. “Every day we don’t fail to call each other or see each other.”

Now at 75 they are still going strong, grateful for their health, their history but mostly for each other.

When asked what the best part of being a triplet they answered in unison, “You’ve got a best friend always!”

They may have been born early but to them, they were right on time for each other.