Two North Dakota men have filed a lawsuit against Unity Medical Center, alleging they were switched at birth nearly four decades ago, a discovery that came to light after one of them received an at-home DNA test as a Christmas gift.
The DNA Discovery
Kyle Bylin, now 37, took a DNA test that connected him with a biological aunt through a genealogy platform. This prompted Jeremy Morrison, the aunt's nephew, to take his own test. Results confirmed that Bylin and Morrison were the only babies born at Unity Medical Center on 28 January 1988, just hours apart. According to the complaint, the newborns were switched before leaving the hospital, with each child raised by the other's biological parents.
“The employees and/or agents of Unity Medical Center who switched the newborns and then failed to recognize or correct the error were acting within the scope of their employment and/or agency,” the complaint states, as reported by People. The lawsuit also names both men's parents as plaintiffs.
Hospital's Response
Unity Medical Center has denied responsibility, saying there is no evidence hospital staff caused the switch, though it does not dispute that the babies were switched. In a statement to ABC News, the hospital said: “We recognize the profound impact this discovery has had on them and their families. Unfortunately, because of the passage of nearly four decades, the medical and staffing records that might have provided additional clarity no longer exist, and no members of the delivery team from that time are still employed by the hospital.”
Impact on Families
Bylin, who was born Jeremy Morrison, still has the hospital bracelet that incorrectly identified him as Kyle Bylin. Evelyn Newton, who raised him as her own, told the Associated Press: “Kyle is still my son – that is never going to change. But I feel robbed of the life I should have had with my biological son. You can’t go back and replace 35 years. First steps, driving a car, getting married – how do you make up for that?”
Since the discovery, Bylin and Morrison have each met their biological parents, describing the reunions to ABC News as “welcoming but awkward”. The two men have spoken by phone but have not yet met in person. “We’ve tried to unite as a group and just recognize that no matter what, there’s different ways that this can be socially messy,” Bylin said. “Everyone’s getting to know people that they didn’t know before.”
Rarity of Baby Switches
While baby switches are rare, they occur more often than expected. According to the DNA Diagnostics Center, up to 18 babies a year may go home with families that aren't their own, though such errors are usually caught almost immediately.
