Two men, Kyle Bylin and Jeremy Morrison, have discovered they were switched at birth 38 years ago after a chance DNA test. The mix-up occurred at Unity Medical Center in Grafton, North Dakota, on January 26, 1988, when they were the only two babies born that day. Each went home with the wrong parents, a fact that remained hidden until Kyle took an at-home DNA test from a kit he grabbed during a Christmas gift swap.
How the switch was uncovered
Kyle, who was raised as Kyle Bylin but is biologically Jeremy Morrison, still has the hospital bracelet misidentifying him. The truth emerged two years ago when his DNA test connected him to his biological aunt on a genealogy platform. When her nephew, Jeremy, also took a DNA test, the switch was confirmed. 'That's when my mind was just completely blown,' Kyle said. 'We could have never imagined that it was an actual birth switch that occurred.' Jeremy said he was convinced as soon as he saw a photo of Kyle's brother and spotted the close similarities in their looks.
Emotional and legal fallout
The two men are now suing Unity Medical Center, claiming they have been robbed of the lives they were supposed to lead. Evelyn Newton, who raised Kyle 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?'
The hospital does not dispute that the babies were switched. In a statement, Unity Medical 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 identities and relationships
Despite the revelation, Jeremy still considers the parents he grew up with — Elizabeth O'Toole and Terry Morrison — as his parents. He described his childhood as fine, saying: '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 now lives in Colorado City, Colorado, working as a welding inspector for a wind energy company. He believes that had he not been switched, he would have been with his biological brother and father on the North Dakota grain farm where Kyle grew up.
Evelyn Newton said she never suspected Kyle might not be her biological son, despite his dark hair contrasting with her family's light hair. Her husband had relatives with dark hair, and she herself was adopted. For Kyle, who pursued an academic career far from North Dakota, the discovery explained feelings of difference. 'You're just kind of shaking your fist, like, how can this be my family? How am I so different from them?' he said. 'It turns out that we're just totally different people, period.'
Kyle and Jeremy have met their biological parents — encounters they described as welcoming but awkward. They have yet to meet each other but have spoken on the phone. '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,' Kyle said. 'Everyone's getting to know people that they didn't know before.'
