Thomas Boone Quaid: Dennis Quaid’s Son, His Survival Story, and Life Today

Thomas Boone Quaid is the son of Hollywood actor Dennis Quaid and Texas-based real estate professional Kimberly Buffington. He was born on November 8, 2007, in Santa Monica, California, alongside his fraternal twin sister Zoe Grace Quaid.

From the very first days of his life, his name became one of the most talked-about in celebrity news, not because of glamour or red carpets, but because of a terrifying medical accident that nearly killed both newborn twins before they were even two weeks old.

Despite that dramatic start, Thomas has been raised far from the public eye. His parents made a deliberate, consistent choice to protect his childhood and let him grow up normally. Today, at 18 years old, Thomas Boone Quaid is a private young man building his own future and one that goes well beyond the famous last name he carries.

This article covers everything worth knowing about Thomas from his emotional birth story and the medical crisis that made global headlines, to the family that fought for him and the quiet, grounded life he is living today.

Quick Facts at a Glance

The Road to His Birth: A Surrogacy Journey

Thomas Boone Quaid’s arrival into the world did not come easily. Before the twins were born, Kimberly Buffington endured five heartbreaking miscarriages. Each loss was devastating, and each attempt to start a family came with grief, uncertainty, and a kind of quiet pain that is hard to put into words.

Rather than give up, Dennis and Kimberly chose gestational surrogacy — a process where an embryo created from the biological parents is carried by a surrogate mother. It was a big, hopeful decision that required patience, trust, and an enormous amount of emotional strength. Dennis and Kimberly had married on July 4, 2004, at his ranch in Paradise Valley, Montana, and building a family together was central to everything they had planned.

When Thomas and Zoe finally arrived in November 2007, the joy and relief were immeasurable. “God has definitely blessed us,” the couple said in a statement at the time. After so much pain, they had two healthy, beautiful babies. For Thomas, this backstory means everything. He was deeply wanted. He was fought for. He was loved before he ever drew his first breath.

The Heparin Overdose:  A Medical Crisis That Shook the Nation

Just when the family thought the hardest chapter was behind them, a new nightmare began.

When Thomas and Zoe were about ten days old, both babies developed staph infections — a serious but treatable condition in newborns. Their parents rushed them to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for care. On November 18, 2007, hospital staff administered the blood-thinning medication Heparin to flush the twins’ IV catheters and prevent clotting. This is a routine and standard procedure. But through a catastrophic and preventable error, both babies received the adult-strength version of the drug: 10,000 units per milliliter and exactly 1,000 times the correct infant dose of 10 units.

The drug turned their blood dangerously thin, putting both newborns at immediate risk of severe internal bleeding. Dennis Quaid later told NBC’s TODAY show: “For 41 hours there, it was really scary. It was the scariest time in either my wife’s or my life.”

Both Thomas and Zoe were placed in intensive care. The California Department of Public Health launched a full investigation. Cedars-Sinai’s chief medical officer publicly acknowledged the failure, calling it “a preventable error, involving a failure to follow our standard policies and procedures,” and issued a formal apology to the families involved.

Tragically, it later emerged that a similar Heparin overdose had already killed three premature infants at an Indianapolis hospital the previous year — and the drug’s packaging had still not been redesigned.

How the Twins Survived Against All Odds?

The survival of Thomas and Zoe was, by every measure, a medical miracle — and the reason was a strange and fortunate twist of biology.

Because the twins were newborns, their blood vessels were so small and fragile that the drug could not cause the ruptures it would in a larger patient. Their tiny bodies, paradoxically, became their shield. Medical teams acted fast, administering a reversal drug to counteract Heparin’s effects. Hour by hour, both babies began to stabilize.

By December 2007, both Thomas and Zoe were healthy enough to go home. Dennis shared the news simply: “We had a happy ending, they’re home, they’re doing great.”

They had survived the unsurvivable. And their story was just beginning.

Legal Battle: Lawsuits, Congress, and Justice

Dennis and Kimberly took immediate action. They filed a lawsuit against Baxter Healthcare Corporation the drug’s manufacturer and alleging dangerously similar packaging between the infant 10-unit vials and the adult 10,000-unit vials. Both had nearly identical blue labels. In a busy hospital, that design flaw was a disaster waiting to happen.

The case against Cedars-Sinai Medical Center resulted in a $750,000 settlement. In May 2008, both Dennis and Kimberly appeared before the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, testifying before Congress and urging lawmakers not to strip Americans of their right to sue drug manufacturers for negligence under state law. It was a remarkable moment for a Hollywood star using his platform not for publicity, but for policy change.

Their efforts paid off in a lasting, practical way. Baxter Healthcare redesigned its Heparin packaging, adding a red caution band that must be physically removed before the vial can be opened, as a direct result of the pressure applied by the Quaids and others affected. What happened to Thomas and Zoe led to real-world changes that continue to protect patients every day.

The Quaid Foundation: From Tragedy to Advocacy

Dennis and Kimberly did not stop at the courtroom. Together, they founded The Quaid Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting patient safety and reducing preventable medical errors in U.S. hospitals. The foundation worked to push for better protocols, transparency, and accountability within the healthcare system.

Dennis also became a prominent spokesperson for the Patient Safety Movement Foundation. In 2011, he produced and narrated the documentary series Chasing Zero: Winning the War on Healthcare Harm for the Discovery Channel bringing the hidden crisis of hospital errors to a mainstream national audience in an emotional and accessible way.

For Thomas, this advocacy is part of his identity. His survival — and his parents’ fierce response to the circumstances surrounding it — contributed to protections that help other newborns and patients across the country. His story did not just end happily. It helped others live.

Dennis Quaid: The Father Behind the Fame

Dennis Quaid is one of the most enduring and beloved actors in American cinema. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, he has built a four-decade career spanning various genres, including romantic comedies, action films, historical dramas, and biopics. In 2024, he played President Ronald Reagan in the biopic Reagan, one of his most high-profile recent roles.

Despite his fame, Dennis has always spoken about fatherhood as the most important part of his life. After his divorce from Kimberly was finalized in 2018, he married PhD student Laura Savoie in a private ceremony in Santa Barbara in June 2020. He remains deeply involved in his twins’ lives. In July 2025, he shared a relieved update about Zoe being safe after flooding in Texas, showing that beneath the Hollywood career, he is simply a loving, present dad.

Kimberly Buffington: The Mother Who Kept It Grounded

Kimberly Buffington has always chosen a private life. A Texas-based real estate professional, she married Dennis on July 4, 2004. After the divorce was finalized in April 2018, she retained primary physical custody of the twins approximately 75% of the time. The financial settlement included a $2 million lump sum and $13,750 in monthly child support.

Her grounded, no-nonsense approach to life has had a powerful and direct influence on how Thomas was raised. She prioritized stability, education, and emotional well-being over media exposure. Her values discipline, independence, and community, and gave the twins the steady foundation they needed to grow up healthy and secure.

His Twin Sister Zoe Grace Quaid

Thomas’s story is completely inseparable from his twin sister Zoe Grace Quaid. Born moments apart on the same November morning, they went through everything together: the terrifying hospital error, the recovery, and the years of growing up quietly in a public family.

Like Thomas, Zoe has stayed almost entirely out of the spotlight. In the summer of 2025, she was working as a camp counselor in Texas, and a sweet, real-world detail that shows just how ordinary and grounded both twins have grown up to be. Neither has a verified social media account. Neither has pursued entertainment. Both have let their story speak for itself.

For Thomas, Zoe is not just a sibling, and she is the person who knows his story from the very beginning. Their shared experience as survivors, and as twins raised in a celebrity family that chose privacy, creates a bond that is both rare and unbreakable.

Half-Brother Jack Quaid: A Warm Family Bond

Jack Quaid was born on April 24, 1992, to Dennis Quaid and actress Meg Ryan. He is 15 years older than the twins, but by all accounts, the bond across the age gap is warm and genuine. Jack has spoken fondly about his younger siblings in interviews, and family photos reflect a natural, comfortable closeness.

Jack has built an impressive acting career of his own, playing Hughie Campbell in Amazon Prime’s The Boys for five seasons, and appearing in The Hunger Games franchise, Scream VI, and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer (2023). He represents what Thomas could look like if he ever chooses the entertainment path though there is currently no indication that Thomas has any intention of doing so.

For Thomas, having Jack in his life means having access to the entertainment world without any pressure to enter it. That balance opportunity without expectation — is one of the quieter gifts of his upbringing.

Growing Up Outside the Spotlight

Despite carrying one of Hollywood’s most recognized last names, Thomas Boone Quaid has had a remarkably normal childhood. His parents made a deliberate and consistent decision: the twins would not be raised in the spotlight. They were not brought to industry events, not placed in front of cameras, and not used as props in their father’s public image.

Thomas grew up splitting time between California and Austin, Texas. Those close to the family describe him as thoughtful, curious, and kind, someone who carries himself with confidence but without ego. He reportedly enjoys creative pursuits like guitar and photography, and like most teenagers, sports play a healthy role in his daily life.

He has no known public social media accounts. He has no film or TV credits. He has made no public career announcements. All of this reflects a young man who is discovering his own identity quietly, on his own terms, free from the weight of expectation his last name could easily bring.

Co-Parenting After Divorce

Dennis and Kimberly’s marriage began to strain publicly in 2012, when Kimberly first filed for divorce and then withdrew the petition. She filed again in 2016, and the divorce was finalized on April 27, 2018. It was a long, public process but what came after it has been handled with quiet maturity.

Both parents have committed to Thomas and Zoe’s well-being above everything else. Dennis has described being deeply involved in the twins’ lives, and neither parent has made their children the subject of public disputes. Kimberly has primary custody, Dennis pays child support and sees the twins regularly, and both have moved forward in a way that puts the children first.

In a celebrity culture full of messy public divorces, this co-parenting story is one of the genuinely positive ones.

Thomas Boone Quaid in 2025–2026

As of early 2026, Thomas Boone Quaid has just turned 18. He stands at the beginning of adulthood with a genuinely open future ahead of him. He is believed to be finishing high school or beginning the next chapter of his education. His sister Zoe was spotted working as a camp counselor in Texas in 2025, suggesting both twins are leading active, community-oriented lives.

Thomas has no public social media presence, no entertainment projects, and no confirmed career path. He appears to be exactly what his parents raised him to be: a grounded, thoughtful young person who knows who he is and does not need the world’s approval to prove it.

Dennis continues to speak about his twins with visible pride and warmth. Whatever direction Thomas chooses, whether it is entertainment, education, business, or something else entirely and he heads into that future with something most people never get: a family that fought for him from his very first breath, and a life story that already proves he is capable of surviving anything.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Who is Thomas Boone Quaid? 

Thomas Boone Quaid is the son of actor Dennis Quaid and Kimberly Buffington. Born on November 8, 2007, in Santa Monica, California, he is the fraternal twin of Zoe Grace Quaid and the half-brother of actor Jack Quaid.

Q. What happened to Thomas Boone Quaid as a baby? 

When Thomas was 10 days old, he and his twin sister were accidentally given 10,000 units of Heparin — 1,000 times the correct infant dose — at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Both survived after emergency treatment.

How old is Thomas Boone Quaid in 2026? 

Thomas turned 18 on November 8, 2025. He is 18 years old as of 2026.

Does Thomas Boone Quaid have a career in entertainment? 

No. As of early 2026, Thomas has no known acting credits or public career. He lives a private life.

Q. What is The Quaid Foundation? 

The Quaid Foundation is a nonprofit started by Dennis and Kimberly Quaid to raise awareness about preventable hospital errors and push for better patient safety standards across the United States.

Q. Who is Thomas Boone Quaid’s half-brother? 

Jack Quaid, born in 1992 to Dennis Quaid and actress Meg Ryan. Jack is known for The Boys, Oppenheimer, and the Hunger Games franchise.

Q. Was Thomas Boone Quaid born via surrogacy? 

Yes. Thomas and his twin sister Zoe were born through a gestational surrogate, as confirmed by the family’s publicist at the time.

Q. What is Thomas Boone Quaid doing now? 

Thomas turned 18 in November 2025 and is believed to be finishing high school or starting the next phase of his life. He maintains a fully private lifestyle.

Q. Did Dennis Quaid win his lawsuit over the Heparin overdose? 

The case against Cedars-Sinai resulted in a $750,000 settlement. The case against Baxter Healthcare did not proceed to a full verdict, but it led to a redesign of Heparin packaging — a lasting, practical outcome.

Q. Does Thomas Boone Quaid have social media? 

No. There are no verified or publicly known social media accounts for Thomas Boone Quaid.