Key Takeaways
- Kyle Bylin discovered, via an at‑home DNA test received as a Christmas gift, that he was not biologically related to the family that raised him.
- The DNA match led to his biological aunt, whose nephew Jeremy Morrison also took a test, confirming that the two men had been raised by each other’s biological families.
- A lawsuit filed against Unity Medical Center in North Dakota alleges that the hospital switched the newborns shortly after birth on 28 January 1988, with each child being raised by the other’s biological parents.
- The complaint names both men’s parents as plaintiffs and claims the switch occurred while the infants were under the hospital’s care, accusing staff of acting within the scope of their employment.
- Unity Medical Center denies responsibility, stating there is no evidence its staff caused the swap, but does not dispute that the babies were switched at some point, citing the loss of records and personnel after nearly four decades.
- Kyle Bylin still possesses the incorrect hospital bracelet that bore his name; his adoptive mother, Evelyn Newton, says he remains her son but mourns the lost years with her biological child.
- Both men have met their biological parents, describing the reunions as welcoming yet awkward; they have spoken by phone but have not met in person, striving to navigate the socially complex situation together.
- Although rare, newborn switches do occur: the DNA Diagnostics Center estimates up to 18 infants a year may go home with the wrong family, though most errors are caught shortly after birth.
The story began when Kyle Bylin received an at‑home DNA kit as a Christmas present. The test linked him to a biological aunt through a popular genealogy platform. Intrigued, the aunt’s son, Jeremy Morrison, also submitted a DNA sample. The results showed that Bylin and Morrison shared a close genetic relationship that could not be explained by their upbringings; each had been raised by the other’s biological parents. This revelation prompted the two men to investigate further, ultimately leading them to conclude that a mix‑up had occurred at the hospital where they were born.
According to the complaint filed against Unity Medical Center in Bismarck, North Dakota, Bylin and Morrison were the only two infants delivered at the facility within a few hours of each other on 28 January 1988. The lawsuit alleges that, without the knowledge or consent of either set of parents, the newborns were switched before leaving the maternity ward. As a result, each child was sent home with the opposite family and grew up believing they were the biological offspring of the parents who raised them. The complaint names both men’s parents as plaintiffs, asserting that the hospital’s employees or agents, acting within the scope of their employment, were responsible for the error and failed to recognize or correct it.
Unity Medical Center has publicly denied liability, insisting there is no evidence that its staff caused the switch. In a statement to ABC News, the hospital acknowledged the profound emotional impact on the families but argued that, after nearly forty years, the relevant medical and staffing records have been destroyed and none of the original delivery team remain employed there. Consequently, the institution claims it cannot definitively prove or disprove how the mix‑up occurred, even though it does not contest that the babies were exchanged at some point in time.
The personal toll of the discovery is evident in the words of those involved. Evelyn Newton, who raised Kyle Bylin as her own son, told the Associated Press, “Kyle is still my son – that is never going to change,” yet she added, “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 himself still bears the incorrect hospital bracelet that identified him as Kyle Bylin, a tangible reminder of the error. Both men have since met their biological parents; they describe those reunions as “welcoming but awkward.” While they have spoken by phone, they have not yet met in person, choosing instead to navigate the newfound relationships cautiously.
In an effort to process the situation collectively, Bylin and Morrison have attempted to unite as a group, acknowledging that the circumstances are socially messy. Bylin told ABC News, “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. Everyone’s getting to know people that they didn’t know before.” Their experience highlights the complex emotional terrain that emerges when long‑held familial identities are overturned.
Although cases of newborns being switched at birth are infrequent, they are not as rare as the not unheard of. The DNA Diagnostics Center estimates that up to 18 infants each year may leave the hospital with the wrong family, although most such errors are identified shortly after delivery. The Bylin‑Morrison case underscores how, when a mistake goes undetected for decades, the consequences can reverberate across generations, reshaping identities, relationships, and the very sense of self for everyone involved.