2 men discover they were switched at birth 38 years ago after random DNA test

The lawsuit, filed in a North Dakota court last week, says Kyle Bylin and Jeremy Morrison were the only babies born on January 26, 1988, at Unity Medical Center in Grafton. Somehow, each baby was sent home with the wrong parents.The truth came to light after Bylin received an at-home DNA test kit during a Christmas gift exchange. (Photo: X/@IAmyLeigh)Two families in the US have sued a North Dakota hospital after DNA tests revealed that their sons were accidentally switched at birth 38 years ago. According to the Associated Press, the families say the mistake changed the course of their lives and deprived them of spending their children's childhood with their biological families.The lawsuit, filed in a North Dakota court last week, says Kyle Bylin and Jeremy Morrison were the only babies born on January 26, 1988, at Unity Medical Center in Grafton. Somehow, each baby was sent home with the wrong parents.A CHRISTMAS DNA TEST REVEALED THE TRUTHAccording to the AP, the truth came to light after Bylin received an at-home DNA test kit during a Christmas gift exchange. He took the test out of curiosity and was matched with a woman on a genealogy website, who was later identified as his biological aunt. Her nephew, Jeremy Morrison, then took a DNA test, which confirmed that the two men had been switched at birth.Her nephew, Jeremy Morrison, then took a DNA test. The results confirmed that the two men had been raised by each other's families. "That's when my mind was just completely blown. We could have never imagined that it was an actual birth switch that occurred," Bylin said, as quoted by the news agency.Morrison said he became convinced after seeing a photograph of Bylin's brother because they looked very similar.'I FEEL ROBBED' The discovery left both families shocked and heartbroken."Kyle is still my son -- that is never going to change," Evelyn Newton, who raised Bylin, told the Associated Press. "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?"Bylin, who was actually born Jeremy Morrison, said he still has the hospital bracelet that wrongly identified him as Kyle Bylin.The hospital says it accepts that the babies were switched at some point but has found no evidence that its staff made the mistake."We recognize the profound impact this discovery has had on them and their families," the hospital said in a statement.It added that because nearly 40 years have passed, the medical records and staffing records from that time no longer exist, making it impossible to determine exactly how the mix-up happened.THEY STILL LOVE THE FAMILIES WHO RAISED THEMMorrison said the discovery has not changed how he feels about the parents who raised him."I was loved. I played sports. I did well in school. A DNA test is not going to take away 38 years of memories," he said.Bylin said he often felt different from the rest of his family while growing up but never imagined the reason."You're just kind of shaking your fist, like, how can this be my family? How am I so different from them? It turns out that we're just totally different people, period," he said.The two men have now met their biological parents. They described the meetings as emotional and welcoming, although naturally awkward. They have spoken to each other on the phone but have not yet met in person."We've tried to unite as a group and just recognise that no matter what, there's different ways that this can be socially messy. Everyone's getting to know people that they didn't know before," Bylin said.DNA TESTS ARE UNCOVERING MORE SUCH CASESAccording to the AP, cases like this are rare, but home DNA testing kits have helped uncover several similar baby-switch incidents in recent years in countries including Norway, Canada and the US.The families' lawyer, Tim O'Keefe, said he spent a year trying to reach a settlement with the hospital before filing the lawsuit. The families are seeking compensation for emotional distress and medical negligence.Looking ahead, Morrison said learning the truth is only the beginning."I know the truth now, but we're still working to build relationships. I mean, it's not like I can go back in time and rebuild what's already lost. It's a work in progress, just like me."- EndsPublished By: Satyam SinghPublished On: Jul 19, 2026 20:41 IST