Two men in North Dakota are suing a hospital after discovering they were switched at birth nearly 40 years ago. The discovery was made by accident through a DNA test kit given as a Christmas gift.
Kyle Bylin took the at-home DNA test, which connected him to a biological aunt on a genealogy website. Her nephew, Jeremy Morrison, then took his own test. The results showed that the two men had been raised by each other's biological families. Both men were born just hours apart on January 28, 1988, at Unity Medical Center in North Dakota. They were the only babies born at the hospital that day.
The lawsuit, filed by the men and their parents, claims that hospital staff switched the babies before they went home and failed to notice the mistake. Unity Medical Center has denied responsibility, stating there is no evidence that hospital staff caused the switch. However, the hospital does not dispute that the two men were switched. They explained that because almost 40 years have passed, medical and staffing records from that time no longer exist.
The discovery has been emotional for the families. Evelyn Newton, who raised Bylin, said that while he will always be her son, she feels robbed of the life she should have had with her biological son, missing milestones like his first steps, learning to drive, and getting married.
Both men have since met their biological parents. They described the reunions as welcoming but awkward. While they have talked on the phone, Bylin and Morrison have not yet met in person, but they are working together to get to know their new families.