Although there’s plenty of information online about Dennis Quaid’s firstborn son, Jack Quaid, due to him following his father’s footsteps as an actor, there’s nearly no information about Dennis Quaid’s twins Thomas Boone Quaid and Zeo Grace Quaid. We’re here to fix that.
This article covers everything you need to know about Thomas Boone Quaid and Zeo Grace Quaid, from their near-death incident two weeks after their birth to their lives today.
Who Are Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace Quaid?
Thomas Boone Quaid and Zoe Grace Quaid are the twin children of Hollywood actor Dennis Quaid and real estate broker Kimberly Buffington.
Thomas, the older of the two, was born two minutes before his fraternal twin, Zoe. The twins were born via gestational carrier in Santa Monica on November 8, 2007, around 8:30 a.m.
As of November 2024, Thomas and Zoe are 17 years old. They live a fairly private life and, as far as we know, they don’t have a public social media account.
Their older brother, Jack Quaid—known for his role as Hughie Campbell in the superhero TV series The Boys—would occasionally post photos with and of the twins on his Instagram account, but he’d rarely talk about them outside of that.
Image source: Google
The same is true of Thomas and Zoe’s father and mother, who divorced in 2016 due to irreconcilable differences. They rarely talk about the twins outside of the occasional Hollywood-related events or red-carpet appearances.
A Not-So-Fun Fact: Two Weeks After Birth, Thomas and Zoe Faced a Life-Threatening Incident
Two weeks after their birth, Thomas and Zoe were hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center due to a staph infection.
Newborns with low birth weights and underdeveloped immune systems are particularly susceptible to such infections, and both twins were born below the average newborn weight—Thomas at 6 pounds 12 ounces and Zoe at 5 pounds 9 ounces.
However, it wasn’t the staph infection that nearly proved fatal—it was the critical error made by the hospital staff.
While being treated at the hospital, the twins were administered 1,000 times the recommended dose of Heparin, an anticoagulant (blood thinner) that stops your blood from forming blood clots.
The high dosage immediately put their lives in danger, and they would’ve passed away if it weren’t for the doctors who stabilized them.
Worse yet, Dennis and Kimberly only found out about the overdose the following morning, after finding both their children in incubators with cords attached to them.
Image source: Google
Thomas and Zoe’s recovery was far from easy. They had to remain in the hospital for nearly a month as doctors managed their treatment. The twins were discharged in December 2007, but not after the Quaids sued the hospital for medical malpractice.
In the end, Dennis and his wife agreed to a $750,000 settlement with the hospital. The lawsuit revealed that the overdose wasn’t an isolated incident, and several other patients had experienced the same dangerous Heparin dosage error before.
A Good Came Out of the Bad
In 2008, Dennis Quaid started The Quaid Foundation to raise awareness and reduce medical mistakes. Dennis was—and continues to be—a vocal advocate for patient safety, using his experience to bring attention to preventable medical errors.
Two years after the organization was born, The Quaid Foundation and the Texas Medical Institute of Technology (TMIT) produced a documentary titled Chasing Zero: Winning the War on Healthcare Harm.
Narrated by Dennis, the documentary sheds light on the devastating effects of avoidable medical errors and provides solutions to combat them.
The documentary aired on Discovery Channel throughout the US and Western Europe, and a DVD copy was provided for free to hospitals and caregivers.
Chasing Zero: Winning the War on Healthcare Harm is free to watch on YouTube and the official Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) website.
Following the Incident
Naturally, it’s difficult to bounce back after a harrowing incident that almost took the lives of not one but both of your children.
Months after the near-fatal overdose, Dennis told People Magazine that developed a greater appreciation for life. “If they hadn’t made it, it would’ve changed my life. But they did survive. So I changed my attitude.”
When asked how the twins were doing in the 2015 podcast Allegedly with Theo Von & Matthew Cole Weiss, Dennis said they were as “perfectly normal as can be.” He then emphasized the importance of standing up for what you believe in, that if something unjust happens to you or your loved ones you shouldn’t hesitate to step up.
Who Are Thomas Boone Quaid’s Father and Mother?
Thomas and Zoe’s father is American actor Dennis Quaid, known for his roles in Innerspace (1987), Frequency (2000), Far From Heaven (2002), and The Day After Tomorrow (2004). He continues to appear in films and TV series, with his most recent projects including The Tiger Rising (2022), On a Wing and a Prayer (2023), and Reagan (2024).
Image source: Google
The twin’s mother, Kimberly Buffington, is a real estate broker. She appeared on TV twice, once in 2008 on 60 Minutes during a segment titled “The Wrong Medicine,” and again on Entertainment Tonight later that same year.
In 2016, Kimberly Buffington filed for divorce from Dennis Quaid due to irreconcilable differences. They continue to co-parent their twins while maintaining separate lives.
Who Is Jack Quaid?
Jack Quaid is Thomas and Zoe’s older half-brother. He was born in Los Angeles on April 24, 1992, to Dennis Quaid and actress Meg Ryan, Dennis’ second wife. As of 2024, Jack is 32 years old—15 years older than Thomas and his twin sister, Zoe.
Like his parents, Jack grew up to be an actor. His first major TV appearance was in The Hunger Games (2012 and 2013), where he played a minor antagonist named Marvel. Today, he’s best known for his role in The Boys, where he plays one of the two major protagonists of the series.
Image source: Instagram
Jack is close to his twin siblings if his Instagram posts are any indication of their close relationship. He’d occasionally post pictures of them hanging out, smiling, and playing together.
Outside social media, though, Jack doesn’t talk much about his younger siblings, as is normal with the Quaids family. They value their privacy and are strict about maintaining it, keeping their personal lives away from the public eye.
Wrapping Up
Thomas Boone Quaid and Zoe Grace Quaid are the twin children of Hollywood actor Dennis Quaid. Zoe is two minutes younger than her brother, Thomas.
Not much is known about the twins’ lives, except for the fact that they suffered a near-fatal overdose when they were only two weeks old. They appear to be perfectly healthy and happy now, living as normal lives as possible, given their father’s status as a Hollywood actor.
Featured image source: Google
